One of the slow starters in the ongoing Dream11 Indian Premier League, Sunrisers Hyderabad team is confident of displaying a much better show after their crucial 15-run win against Delhi Capitals at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman said his side is looking forward to keep the momentum going after their maiden win in three games in UAE. The former Indian star batsman is optimistic about his team’s chances in the thirteenth edition of the IPL.
In a virtual media interaction on Thursday, Laxman said the first win would always be special and coming after early setbacks it is very important and hope to build on that all-round performance.
“That win showed our character. I believe that the team which has self-belief, plans and executes them perfectly will be the best and consistent team in the IPL,” he explained.
After a couple of points under their belt, the task for Sunrisers Hyderabad to keep the winning run would be tough as they have to negotiate tougher opponents as they go along.
Commenting on Friday’s big battle against Chennai Super Kings, Laxman said the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side is a very formidable unit with a lot of quality and experience at their disposal.
“Well, we do have plans for each and every CSK player and the bowlers also know the strengths and weaknesses of every batsman. Definitely, we hope to maintain the high after the win the previous night. It will be a good battle,” he said.
The 45-year-old Laxman is all praise for 29-year-old left-armer T Natarajan for his impressive show against Delhi Capitals, where he ended up with 1 for 29 from his four-over spell to restrict the opponents.
“Right from the first day of the practice sessions he is finding the rhythm and along with experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar brings a lot of variety to our death bowling for which SRH is known. Natarajan had fantastic work ethics and the way he executed those perfect yorkers was brilliant. He has the confidence now to go ahead,” he said.
Laxman was all praise for debutant Abdul Samad Farooq. The eighteen-year-old is a second year BPE student of Sharirik Shikshan Mahavidyalaya, Koradi, which is 20 kms from Nagpur.
“It is always good to have exciting young talent like Abdul Samad and we have quite a few of them like Samad, who is an effortless big hitter. The key for this young talent to perform is self-belief and the right kind of mindset. And, IPL is the most popular with the best format, providing a big platform for them to mature. I am sure Samad will do well,” he added.
On the middle-order, Laxman said there was too much talk on it and unfair too as not many of them got chances.
“We have the confidence in the line-up which has the potential to win matches even as the pitches might become slower as the IPL progresses. We have the luxury of fielding different, formidable combinations based on the various kinds of opposition,” said Laxman, who is a famous TV commentator.
He also made it clear that there is no fear of the Covid-19 pandemic among the players as everyone was implementing all the safety measures and guidelines. “We are all strictly following the bio bubble with even the team owners having the restrictions. It is very important for the IPL success that everyone should follow the SOP,” he concluded.
Courtesy: orangecitysports.com
