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Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori finally broke the silence on the Wanindu Hasaranga issue and provided an update regarding the Sri Lanka player’s participation in the IPL 2024.
There was a cloud of uncertainty about whether the premier leg-spinner would take part in the IPL after suffering an injury to his left ankle, but Vettori is hopeful that the overseas player will join the team soon.
“Hasaranga has visited a specialist in Dubai and we are waiting for the reports to come. We are just hopeful that positive reports come out, and as soon as we have the reports, we will be making the decision,” Vettori said during a media interaction.
Form of Mayank Agarwal
The Sunrisers have gotten off to a decent start by winning one and losing two, and in the early stages of the league, the Pat Cummins-led side has the cushion to bounce back and make a strong statement. A win at home after posting the highest IPL total would have definitely boosted the team’s morale but opener Mayank Agarwal’s form has been a concern. In three matches, the Karnataka batter has scored just 59 runs but Vettori isn’t too bothered.
“Mayank gave us what we wanted in the first game but in the last two games, he missed out. That’s the nature of the game and for Mayank, it’s all about countering. He is working hard and rectifying things.”
Mount 200
Teams have breached the 200-run mark in this IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders posting the second-highest total in this IPL against Delhi Capitals. The former New Zealand skipper wasn’t surprised and expects his bowlers to pull their socks up.
READ | Focus on Dhoni as Chennai Super Kings takes on Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad
“I think in general we are expecting 200-run scores and we are gearing up for a high-scoring game and there is a lot of pressure on the bowling unit,” Vettori said.
Umran impresses Vettori
Pace sensation Umran Mailk has been waiting in the wings and has just featured in one match this season. Vettori, however, said that the young pacer will get his chances as the tournament progresses.
“I have observed him in the training and have been impressed with everything he has done so far. Like I said he is definitely there in our planning and we do feel with Pat Cummins and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Natarajan when he is fit and it’s a good pace bowling group. We would like to be condition-based and the number of surfaces so far has been conducive to the pace of slow-ball cutters. Umran’s strength is bowling fast and whenever there is an opportunity we will take him,” the coach said.
The Cummins-Vettori Combo
Sunrisers are trying to change their fortunes after a forgettable last season. With a new coach in Vettori combined with a World Cup-winning captain in Pat Cummins, there has been some sort of stability in the group.
“The mood in the camp is really good and there is a lot of positivity around the style of play. Abhishek (Sharma) encompasses that and he has got the freedom and he embraces that. Because the scoring is so high, we can’t be intimidated at any stage and we have to be aggressive and that’s the messaging from myself and Pat,” Vettori said.
Hussey harps on assessing conditions
Chennai Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey said that the side hasn’t yet planned for a substitution for Mustafizur Rahman, who will not be available for at least the next two matches after the pacer flew back to Bangladesh to complete his U.S. visa formalities for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“Probably the wrong person to ask and Stephen Fleming would be the best one to ask. I think they are looking at all the options. We need to look at the conditions and the SRH team. I am not going to give away what our team is going to look like tonight but we haven’t yet finalised our team as yet,” Hussey said.
The batting coach further said that adapting to the conditions will be the key after suffering a loss in their last game against the Delhi Capitals.
“What we want to improve from our last match against Delhi is to assess the conditions a little bit quicker than what we did in the last game. It’s something that is spoken about as a team and as a group and it’s important for the players to assess the conditions in the middle and send the message back to the rest of the team. It looks a good pitch and historically it has been a nice batting pitch here and we are going to come with a clear mind and access the conditions and play accordingly. The team that adapts the quickest will come out on top.”
The former Australian battern heaped praise on new skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and said that the skipper has the support of the entire team.
“Ruturaj has been fantastic and he is still the same person and that’s what I have been looking for. He is very consistent and goes about his preparations in a similar way. He has still got the support with MS Dhoni around him, obviously Stephen Fleming and all the players and support staff. He is doing a wonderful job and is very calm and measured on the field.”
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