Pujara and Bishop hail the young batter’s fearless knock as a silver lining for SRH in a forgettable outing against a dominant DC unit
New Delhi, March 30:
Even in defeat, young Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Aniket Verma emerged as the brightest spark in their clash against Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, earning high praise from cricketing stalwarts Cheteshwar Pujara and Ian Bishop for his fearless innings.
After SRH opted to bat first in Visakhapatnam, things quickly went south as they crumbled to 37/4 under pressure from a blazing spell by Mitchell Starc. But walking in at No. 6, the 23-year-old Aniket Verma played with freedom and fearlessness, stunning fans with a blistering 74 off 41 balls laced with five boundaries and six towering sixes.
His counterattacking knock included a crucial 77-run partnership with Heinrich Klaasen, offering SRH a fighting chance before he was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav. While Delhi chased down the 164-run target with ease, Aniket’s valiant knock won applause from fans and accolades from cricketing greats.
Cheteshwar Pujara, speaking on ESPNcricinfo, was all praise for Aniket’s fearless strokeplay:
“I thought Aniket batted brilliantly. There was no pressure on him. He just kept playing his shots. There was some good bowling there, but he looked really good today.”
Echoing the sentiment, Ian Bishop admired Aniket’s maturity and attacking instinct:
“Oh my goodness. Now I think I get this. Even in the previous game, his selection of shots and range of stroke play complements his bravery. For someone so young and inexperienced to take on international-quality bowling – it speaks volumes about his character.”
Despite SRH’s 7-wicket loss, Aniket’s knock stood out as a promising sign for the franchise, proving that their young talent could rise to the big stage and shine under pressure. As Delhi continued their unbeaten run in the tournament, Aniket Verma left the field with his head held high and a standing ovation from the crowd.