Following a tense victory against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins lavished praise on all-rounder Nitish Reddy for his impactful performance, which ultimately set SRH apart from PBKS in their IPL encounter at Mullanpur Stadium on Tuesday. Despite a strong comeback from Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma, PBKS missed clinching the win by a mere two runs.
During the post-match presentation, Cummins highlighted Nitish’s contributions, stating, “His performance was outstanding, making a fantastic debut last week. He was exceptional at the top of the order, and his efforts in the field and his three overs of bowling significantly contributed to our score of 180. His batting was particularly amazing.”
Cummins reflected on the match as an excellent display of cricket, acknowledging that despite PBKS’s effective bowling early on, SRH’s ability to post 182 and successfully defend it was crucial. He also mentioned the strategic advantage provided by the ‘Impact Player’ rule in strengthening the batting lineup.
“With scores around 150-160, chances of winning are slim. We knew the initial overs with the new ball would be crucial. We were satisfied with our total and, seeing the new ball’s effect in their innings, aimed for early wickets with me and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) opening the bowling. Our diverse bowling attack, featuring left and right-arm bowlers, was strategized to maximize our chances of success,” Cummins explained, shedding light on the team’s strategy and approach to bowling in the game.