Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Kane Williamson said that it was a shame that they couldn’t kick on and get to the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) but also added that they are proud of the way they played in the last two-three weeks.
Speaking at the post-match press conference about how the game panned out, Williamson said, “They played very very well and put a very competitive total on the board which going into the second innings there’s always risks that need to be taken. Unfortunately, we didn’t get off to the best of the starts but managed to build a few partnerships through the middle period and we still had a little bit of opportunity.”
Chasing 190, the Sunrisers came out all guns blazing as they got 12 runs off the first over. But, Delhi Capitals came back in the second over owing to an in-swinging full delivery by Kagiso Rabada to David Warner that smashed into his pads, on to the stumps. Delhi kept on chipping at the wickets as they got two more in the powerplay itself.
However, Sunrisers staged a comeback owing to a Williamson special of 67 (45) and some late quick runs by Abdul Samad 33 (16). But, Marcus Stoinis came back to take his third wicket, that of Williamson, to ensure that Delhi move into their first IPL final ever.
Like Delhi, Sunrisers, too, had a season with plenty of ups and downs.
With only four wins in their first 10 games, Sunrisers were staring down the barrel. But their three back-to-back wins against the top three sides ensured that they finished third in the points table and qualified for the playoffs.
Asked to sum the season up for the Sunrisers, Williamson said that it was a season of fine lines for them as they had a few very close losses and it took some time for them to find their rhythm and play as a unit.
Called by his skipper David Warner as the ‘banker’, Williamson has been the backbone of the SRH line-up this season. In the 12 games he has played, he has amassed 317 runs at an average of 45.28. He has bailed Sunrisers out of tough situations on more than one occasion in this season alone.
On Sunday, too, SRH found themselves in a muddle after losing three wickets in the powerplay. Williamson played a calculated knock to almost carry his team over the line, before getting out on 67. Asked about his innings, Williamson said that it was important for them to stitch some partnerships, and he was pleased that they were able to do that and complimented the 18-year old Samad for his hitting prowess.
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