Indian Cricket Team Updates |
- Sunrisers Hyderabad beam towards a new dawn
- Team work key to our success: Shikhar Dhawan
- Good to end on a positive note: Ali Murtaza
- SRH vs KKR - M72 Report & Stats: IPL 2013
| Sunrisers Hyderabad beam towards a new dawn Posted: 19 May 2013 11:01 PM PDT  Before their first match of the IPL 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor Kris Srikkanth spoke about 'belief' and 'faith' being a crucial aspect to their journey in the tournament. He spoke about creating a vibe of positive energy in the dressing room that would bring the team success. (Also Read: SRH vs KKR - M72 Report & Stats: IPL 2013) Now, 46 days, 16 matches, a super over and a hattrick later, Kris Srikkanth is proud of a team that not many gave a chance of making to the playoffs. The Sunrisers hardly have any superstars nor does it boast of big names from the domestic circuit; yet in their very first year, they have made it to the top four of the tournament. With a renewed team, new backstage staff, refurbished hope and a drive to succeed, the Sunrisers now look forward to putting up a similar spirited performance in the playoffs. Still over the moon after achieving one of their primary targets in the tournament, Kris Srikkanth spoke to IPLT20.com with a joy that knew no bounds. He compared the win to one of India's most iconic moments in cricketing history; the 1983 World Cup victory which he was a part of. "My memories went down to the 1983 World Cup. Nobody gave us a chance in the World Cup that year, but we qualified and won at the end of the day. The feeling today is quite similar as no one gave the Sunrisers a chance in the tournament, and today we have qualified for the playoffs," said an overjoyed Srikkanth. With a win against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, the Sunrisers have not only booked a playoffs spot but have also knocked out favourites Royal Challengers Bangalore out of the tournament. From being labelled as the underdogs, to making it to the final four, the Sunrisers Hyderabad have indeed come a long way. "If you look at the team, we had the faith and belief that we would make it. Everybody said we were the underdogs, but we were not worried about it. This team is built on teamwork and not individual performance. The core of the team has been the supportive nature of its members. Everybody backed each other through the ups and downs in the tournament which has helped in the team's success," said Srikkanth. A new setup, a new support staff and a renewed team has indeed caught a lot of people by surprise. From game number one to game number sixteen, Srikkanth describes the Sunrisers' journey in one word – Fantastic. "The journey for us has been fantastic. Before the start of the tournament, the only thing we told the boys was to play with a lot of passion. They have done exactly that and it is this passion in their hearts that has got the team thus far." Srikkanth, who has always believed in the power of the people and positive energy, also credits the people of Hyderabad for the team's success. "I have always believed in the power of the people. The energy of the people of Hyderabad has been brilliant. They have supported us throughout and this helped create a positive energy that was reflected on the field. Our fans turned up in great numbers for our games and have given us unconditional support." When asked what he would tell the team when they meet the Rajasthan Royals in the playoffs, Srikkanth replied with a smile. "Keep playing your natural game. Do not worry or get overburdened by the occasion. Take it one game at a time and the results will follow." source: iplt20.com | ||||||||
| Team work key to our success: Shikhar Dhawan Posted: 19 May 2013 10:58 PM PDT  The moment Darren Sammy hit Iqbal Abdullah for a six, he had not only won a lot of hearts in the crowd, but had also sealed a spot in the Playoffs for the Sunrisers. The deafening roar of the crowd accompanied the Sunrisers dugout as they ran to the centre of the pitch to congratulate Sammy. (Also Read: SRH vs KKR - M72 Report & Stats: IPL 2013) The home team's theme song was played at high decibels as the crowd sang along and danced with jubilation. The Sunrisers then took a victory lap in the stadium gifting the crowd with team merchandise along the way. During the lap, players doused each other with water and energy drinks, while the rest acknowledged the cheers of the crowd. Sammy did his own version of the 'Gangnam' as coach Tom Moody and team mentors Kris Srikkanth and VVS congratulated the team. Though the excitement began to wane as the stadium emptied, the dressing room mood was still upbeat. There were smiles and hugs all around as phone calls and text messages continued to pour in. "Time of my life", a song from the movie "Dirty Dancing" echoed in the dressing room along with popular dance numbers; testifying to the amazing feeling of accomplishment. Amidst all the jubilation, Shikhar Dhawan who played a vital role in SRH's win against the Knight Riders on Sunday, shared a few moments with IPLT20.com. Describing the feeling, the opening batsman said, "It is a great feeling to be in the knockouts. It is our first year and we have made it to the Playoffs when not many gave us a chance. At the moment, it is amazing to see our name in the top four." Considering not many would have backed SRH to reach this position, it is indeed amazing. They knocked out RCB - one of the tournament favourites and will face the Rajasthan Royals in their Playoffs fixture. Dhawan credited the team's success to teamwork. "I believe the reason we have succeeded as a group is because this team is not about any individual. We all gel together and enjoy each other's success. We stuck to our plans, executed them well and played good cricket. The Sunrisers, known for their strong bowling unit restricted KKR to a total of 130 in the final league encounter. Dhawan was of the view that SRH were a team that hunted in pairs throughout the tournament. "We have a lethal bowling attack with Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma adding firepower in the beginning and at the death; and we have quality spinners like Amit Mishra and Karan Sharma who thrive in pairs in the mid-innings. We have a similar logic with respect to our batting too." Their batting has been patchy in this tournament, with the team unable to put up huge scores. But on Sunday night, openers Parthiv Patel and Dhawan gave the side a strong start to set a perfect platform for the run-chase. "I feel it was a great opening partnership between me and Parthiv. We got off to a good start and did the job for our team. Also, hats off to Darren Sammy who held his nerve to finish the game for us," Dhawan said. On a personal front, the left-handed opener was also happy with the way he was striking the ball, especially after coming back from an injury. "I joined the team a bit late due to my injury but was eager to start playing. I have been consistent in the tournament and I am really happy with my performance this year. I would love to continue this form in the Playoffs," he said. "It is a very big win for us. We have done it and it is a big achievement for us to deliver such a good performance in our very first year. We will savour this win for the moment and get ready for the Playoffs," said Dhawan. source: iplt20.com | ||||||||
| Good to end on a positive note: Ali Murtaza Posted: 19 May 2013 10:55 PM PDT  One of the architects of PWI's 38-run triumph was Ali Murtaza, who, in only his third game of the season, conceded just 15 runs off four overs while claiming three crucial DD wickets. In an exclusive chat with IPLT20.com, the left-arm orthodox spinner spoke about the importance of finishing an otherwise forgettable season on a high note. He also praised the loyal PWI fans for supporting their team through thick and thin. Here are excerpts from his interview: You looked to have struck form in only your third outing this season? I have just got a few chances this year. However, Coach, Allan Donald and our support staff have made me practice a lot throughout the season. Therefore, I was really hoping to do well in the last match when I got a chance to play in it. Did you get any help from the wicket? The wicket here was a bit slow and the ball was gripping a bit. So, it was good for spinners. It is not easy to score off spinners here. Besides, I have been practicing on the home ground for quite some time, which is why I had an understanding of this wicket. I bowled accordingly while adjusting my line and length. Was the wicket easier to bat on earlier in the match? As I said, we have been practicing here for a while – two months. Therefore, we have a good idea about this wicket and we knew how it would play out. So, Aaron Finch and Luke Wright capitalised on that and batted very well and struck some big hits as well. Also, there was an advantage in batting first as the wicket got slower as the game progressed. So, it helped us to put up a big score and then have the other team try and chase it. According to you, what was the turning point of the match? I think the turning point was Luke and Angelo Mathews' partnership. Also, when I got three wickets in a span of two overs, I thought, that helped. What are the positives that you will take from this tough season? One of positives is that we finished well in the last game of the season. Also, our team combination was looking good for the last few games. We lost some close matches, which were not that bad. The crowd in Pune is also very supportive; and they get behind their sportspersons. Be it a day game or a night game, they come to watch them all. The crowd is great here and I always enjoy playing in front of them. source: iplt20.com | ||||||||
| SRH vs KKR - M72 Report & Stats: IPL 2013 Posted: 19 May 2013 09:17 PM PDT Match Report: Sunrisers Hyderabad secured their spot in Pepsi IPL 2013 Playoffs, knocking out Royal Challengers Bangalore out of the race, courtesy, their five wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday night. Batting first SRH restricted KKR to just 130 before their batsmen chased down the target in 18.5 overs.
Chasing a modest 131, Parthiv Patel got SRH rolling with consecutive boundaries off Pradeep Sangwan in the second over. Patel, playing the role of the aggressor, went after Yusuf Pathan striking consecutive boundaries, before Shikhar Dhawan joined in with a slog-swept six. SRH made 45 from their Power Play. Dhawan upper cut Jacques Kallis for a six before smashing a boundary in the eighth over. He continued the attack with two more boundaries off Mohammad Shami. At the halfway stage, SRH were 77 for no loss, still requiring 54 runs. Iqbal Abdulla got KKR their first breakthrough, trapping Dhawan (42) leg before as he attempted the reverse sweep. Abdulla struck again dismissing Patel (47) leg before wicket in the 14th over. Cameron White (2) setting off on a suicide run and was run out by Eoin Morgan in the 15th over. Needing 25 from 30 balls, Hanuma Vihari (6) top edged a sweep off Abdulla causing some tension in the SRH camp. Sunil Narine bowled a maiden over in the 17th as the required run rate took a climb. Shami then bowled Thisara Perera (4) with a stunning Yorker in the 18th over. Needing 15 from two overs, Darren Sammy smashed consecutive sixes to see SRH home with seven balls remaining. Earlier KKR won the toss and elected to bat. Openers Gautam Gambhir and Manvinder Bisla started slowly. Bisla (15) struck a boundary off Thisara Perera, before he perished the next ball caught by White at cover. Gambhir was given a life when White put him down at cover off Anand Rajan on 8. KKR made 33 from their powerplay. Gambhir (10) was run out by Samantray courtesy of a horrible misunderstanding in the eighth over. Karan Sharma trapped Morgan (9) leg before to leave KKR three down in the 11th over. After a few quiet overs, Dale Steyn got his fellow countryman, Kallis (24) caught at the boundary in the 16th over. Ryan ten Doeschate (1) was completely deceived by an Amit Mishra wrong 'un as he was adjudged leg before wicket. Pathan then launched Perera for a six in the 19th. Paras Dogra (5) holed out to Perera off Steyn before Pathan pulled him for a six. Narine (1) fell in the final over before Pathan hit six off the last ball to help KKR finished at 130 for seven..
Man-of-the-Match: Parhiv Patel Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 130 for 7 (Yusuf Pathan 49*; Dale Steyn 2-24) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad 132 for 5 (Parthiv Patel 47; Iqbal Abdulla 3-29) by 5 wickets.
Stats Highlights: 204: Number of dot balls bowled by Dale Steyn in IPL 2013 – most by any bowler in a single edition of IPL. Lasith Malinga had bowled 196 dot balls in 2011 edition. 96.58: Jacques Kallis' strike-rate in IPL 2013 – worst for any batsman in a single edition of IPL (having faced 300 balls or more). Kumar Sangakkara had a strike-rate of 102.47 in 2009. 89: Runs added by Parthiv Patel and Shikhar Dhawan – highest partnership for Sunrisers Hyderabad for any wicket. Cameron White and Thisara Perera had added 80 runs for the fourth wicket against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Bengaluru on April 9. 21.21: Average runs conceded by Sunrisers Hyderabad for each wicket in IPL 2013 – lowest among all teams in IPL 2013. 10: Number of times Sunrisers Hyderabad restricted their opponents to a total of 130 or less- most such instances for any time in IPL 2013. 10: Number of times Gautam Gambhir has got run-out in IPL. With Sunday's dismissal he equaled Y Venugopal Rao's record of most such dismissals in IPL.
Presentation: Gambhir: Want to congratulate Hyderabad for the way they played and got to the playoffs. We didn't bowl too well in the first 7-8 overs, had we done that, things would have been different. We weren't consistent throughout the tournament. White: Feeling bit better than what I was about 12 balls earlier. Dhawan and Parthiv set it up for us to scrape through to the win. The guys came together well and then the fans and the franchise supported us well. We have nothing to lose now, were underdogs but we will look to scrap and fight in the playoffs. Parthiv Patel is the man of the match: We have seen teams getting choked low scores so went hard at the start. Yes there were nerves in the end but Sammy finished it off well. We have clicked well as a team and a lot of credit goes to the coaching staff. source: iplt20.com |
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