NEWS
Follow UsSunrisers Hyderabad batter Abdul Samad feels Nitish Kumar Reddy looks like a completely different player from the previous edition of the Indian Premier League. The 20-year-old all-rounder from Andhra didn’t have much experience in this format but has started the IPL 2024 with a bang.
Nitish scored a good-looking 8-ball 14* against Chennai Super Kings but it was against Punjab Kings on April 9 (Tuesday) where he forced everyone to sit up and take notice. He slammed 64 off 37 deliveries to help SRH recover from 100/5 in 13.1 overs to 182/9 by the end of 20 overs.
Also read - Who is Nitish Kumar Reddy - the all-rounder who idolises Virat Kohli?
"Last year Nitish played conventional shots this time he looks completely different. He has prepared well and he made a good impact in our practice matches. Everyone is impressed by him and that is why they back him," said Samad.
“I feel he was promoted because of the confidence that he gained in the last game. Everybody was confident that he would deliver.”
Samad himself smashed 25 off 12 deliveries and put on 50 runs with Nitish for the sixth wicket. The Sunrisers posted a total of 182 and eventually won by just two runs, surviving Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma's blistering knocks in the last four overs.
"We dropped two catches and they came close otherwise we would have won by 15 runs. Shashank and Ashutosh played really well in the final overs so it was a good contest,” said Samad.
Shashank and Ashutosh had added 43 off 22 in the previous game against Gujarat Titans and propelled Punjab to a stunning victory. Those knocks came out of nowhere, so everyone must have felt it was like a one-match thing. But Shashank and Ashutosh almost repeated the same against Hyderabad.
Also read - Through ups and downs, Shashank Singh sees light at end of the tunnel
This task was a lot more tougher, with 67 needed off the final four overs. Shashank first hit Bhuvneshwar for three fours in an over before Ashutosh got a couple of boundaries off Cummins. T Natarajan gave 10 in the penultimate over, leaving 29 for Jaydev Unadkat’s final over. Ashutosh and Shashank got 26 runs off it, falling short by just two runs.
Talking about why domestic players are doing well this season, Shashank said: The only thing is the self-belief. Like the way we played in domestic cricket. Like you see Nitish here. He scored and took wickets in white-ball and red-ball both.
“Ashutosh, you see that he did very well in the Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare trophy. But the others who are coming in, like Angkrish from KKR.
"So the players who are coming in, yes may be unknown here, but they are known players in the domestic circuit. We play domestically and they are doing very well. So it is the reward for that. Whatever you do domestically, you continue doing the same here.
"That performance brings you here. Cricket is a game of self-belief. I think at this level, whatever you perform, you bring confidence and self-belief here and then you do well here. Obviously luck is a part, but then that self-confidence is always there.”
Shashank also praised Ashutosh for his power-hitting and credited him for keeping the side in the hunt till the last minute. "We always play to win. So, we are upset whether we lose by two runs or 20 runs. A loss is a loss. But the way we took the game to the final ball, we have to credit Ashutosh for his innings.
"The way he came down and batted was brilliant. Till the last ball, we had faith and we were discussing in the middle that the chase was possible. We kept telling each other that we would be able to do it. But Unadkat managed to get that one ball that he needed to bowl to restrict us."
The 32-year-old further opened up on the learnings from the match and also spoke about his role in the side. In five innings this season, Shashank has smashed 137 runs at a strike rate of 195.71, getting out just once. "Individually, I was able to middle the ball a lot in the game which has given me a lot of confidence. But if we are unable to get the win, then there is always scope for improvement.
"So, we have to discuss the same with coaches now on how we can ensure we get those crucial 2-3 runs, or which bowlers in which situations I can target to do even better. That is the learning for us.
"In the middle overs, our task is to take the game deep to the last over and win the game for our side. It is not possible every time. But if we can spend time on the crease, and adjust well to conditions, then it improves our chances. The more I could finish off games, the more beneficial it will be for the team."
