IPL 2021: Match 49, KKR vs SRH – Who Said What

Continuing with their dismal IPL 2021 run, knocked-out Sunrisers Hyderabad slipped to their tenth defeat of the season, as Kolkata Knight Riders defeated them six wickets and two balls to spare in a low-scoring encounter in Dubai.

Hyderabad never quite got going batting first and were restricted for an underwhelming 115/9, with a top-score of 26 from skipper Kane Williamson. Williamson was only one amongst the four SRH batters on the day who went into double digits, with KKR bowlers dominating the proceedings throughout. Credit was due to specially the spinners Varun Chakravarthy, Shakib al Hasan and Sunil Narine, who strangled SRH, giving only 58 in their 12 overs combined.

Even though Narine returned wicketless, he gave merely 12 in his four overs. However, before the spinners joined the action, the foundation of an SRH collapse were laid by Tim Southee and Shivam Mavi, who bagged a couple of wickets each in their economic spells.

Williamson was unlucky to be run out, given he looked fluent in his 21-ball 26. Priyam Garg did score 21 but took 31 balls, while openers Wriddhiman Saha and Jason Roy perished inside the powerplay, with latter pinned lbw by Southee in the very first over. Had it not been for some meaty blows by Abdul Samad, who struck three sixes in his 18-ball 25, SRH might not have mustered even 115.

With the ball, SRH did manage to strike early, with Venkatesh Iyer being undone by Jason Holder (2/32) for a 14-ball 8, while Rashid Khan (1/23) removed Rahul Tripathi next to peg KKR further back. However, from his end, Shubman Gill denied to drop the anchor, scoring 57 off 51 with 10 fours. Hyderabad did do a commendable job to not allow KKR run away with the game in a paltry chase, but their bowlers did not have enough in them to defend such a low score. However, special mention to JK pacer Umran Malik, who showed some raw pace and displayed great discipline with the ball.

On a tricky surface, getting the eyes in was never easy for a new batter but the low score gave both Gill and Nitish Rana (25 off 33) the luxury to score at their own pace; the duo wiped off the large chunk of runs, adding 55 for the third wicket before being dismissed in quick succession. Dinesh Karthik struck three fours in his 18 off 12 to finish the game and keep his team’s playoff hopes alive.

Losing skipper Kane Williamson:

 I think if we got closer to the 150-mark, might have been par. We did have our chances to squeeze the scoring but it was always going to be tough with such a low score. We haven’t been able to identify the right score all season. We need to go back to the drawing board and re-assess things. We could have built more partnerships. Unfortunately we were 10-15 short of what would have been a competitive score. He (Malik) has been bowling really quick in the nets and it’s really nice for him to get an opportunity today. Obviously we’re out of the competition, so it’s a chance for some other boys to also get on the park.

Winning skipper Eoin Morgan:

 The wicket played slower than we thought, than the wicket two nights ago. It swings early in the powerplay in these conditions, but it was sluggish. We needed to bowl and field well and we did. Shubman played extremely well and led the chase. The depth of the squad to be able to call Shakib is a huge luxury, so he has had a huge impact. We didn’t know it wouldn’t be played in India, and we have done well in the conditions and adapted well. We are focussed on playing good cricket and we’ve done that in the last three weeks. The game plan has had a good impact in the dressing room and guys are putting their hands up. We have done well to adapt to the slow conditions and I’m happy with that.

Player of the Match Shubman Gill:

It was important to keep the wickets in hand, and when the balls and runs were closer then just take it easy. It was important to assess the wicket. It wasn’t easy to hit the spinners on this wicket. I was targeting the shorter side, and the leg-side was shorter than the off-side at one end. When I didn’t have much runs under the belt, you don’t want the opposition to gain the upper hand. When you play on slower wickets, it’s more important to play with the wrists and that comes naturally to me. I took on the extra pace (of Umran) today and it came off in this game, but in another game it might not.