INTERVIEW
Follow UsSunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are known for their rearguard actions in the Indian Premier League (IPL). While they didn’t start their IPL 2021 campaign on a winning note, one can never rule out David Warner’s team from play-offs contention as they have been one of the most consistent teams in the IPL since they won the title for the first time in 2016. Since then, they have made it to the last four on every occasion.
“Since the birth of SRH, this has been our strength to fight back from any situation. Indeed, it did seem last year that we may finish in the bottom two or three place (in the points table) but in our last four matches we turned the tables,” team mentor VVS Laxman told Cricket.com.
SRH, like many other teams in the league, already have some of the biggest names in the coaching industry like Tom Moody who is back as Director of Cricket. World Cup winner Trevor Bayliss is the head coach and Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker of all time in international cricket, is the bowling coach. So, how does this mentoring role work in an IPL set up as there are so many heavyweights?
“We work as a team. We may have different designations but it does not mean that I am just in the mentorship role only. If I find anything technical (issues) in someone’s game, I will discuss it with the concerned players whether it’s a batsman or a bowler. I am also part of the team management and we figure out the combinations collectively. I am enjoying this role as it allows me to interact with young minds of modern cricket,” elaborated Laxman about his role in the franchise.
Some of their biggest match-winners are overseas stars – captain David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Jason Roy and Jason Holder. “The format of the IPL is such that you can have four overseas players in your playing XI. Some teams have great overseas bowlers and we have some top-class batsmen like Warner, Williamson and Bairstow who are outstanding in white-ball cricket,” explains the 46-year-old Laxman.
There are many explosive batsmen in the IPL and some of them are part of this SRH unit. New Zealand skipper Williamson is someone who may remind you of Laxman’s stroke-play and demeanor on and off the field. “He is a great role model. The way he bats under pressure with composure is incredible. He trusts his own game and plays conventional cricketing shots and yet his scoring speed is fine. His power hitting has improved since last year and it shows that he also works very hard on his batting. The way he carries himself on and off the field, he is an inspirational figure,” says Laxman in complete admiration of the Kiwi.
However, if there is one player who is the cynosure of all eyes, it is the charismatic Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan spinner is simply exceptional in the middle-overs (7-15) in the IPL, but what makes him so good is his ability to pick up wickets at any stage of the game.
“Rashid Khan is a trump card who in my opinion is the No.1 white-ball bowler. What separates him from any other bowler is his attacking mind-set. His confidence in his own ability is incredible and that is the reason not for just one or two but for the last four years he has been having a great time in each IPL,” says Laxman, who was captain of the Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) in 2008.
In hindsight, Hyderabad may have lost the first match of the season against KKR by sending young Abdul Samad a little too late. Samad may have gone unnoticed because of just having scored 111 runs last season but his strike rate which is above 170 indicates that SRH may have finally found a finisher they desperately needed. “The way he batted in difficult situations, I am sure he will be a better player this season. What stands out in Samad’s game is his ability to hit sixes against quality fast bowlers. He doesn’t need to step out to hit sixes and that tells you that his bat-flow is superb. He has got the strength and his six-hitting ability will make him a fine finisher for SRH,” says the mentor of the Hyderabad-based franchise.
Traditionally, Hyderabad have always believed in a strong bowling unit as a critical part of their squad. Last year, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s injury at the beginning of the tournament had hurt them a lot, but Laxman feels that it also gave opportunity to someone like T Natarajan to showcase his potential. “Last year was a very challenging season for him because Bhuvi was injured. ‘Nattu’ had to bowl the tough overs for us. But the way he executed his yorkers consistently, I was surprised. I still can’t forget the way he flummoxed a seasoned campaigner like AB de Villiers in one of the matches. That clearly shows that he is somebody who is aware of his potential,” says Laxman.
In IPL, Laxman’s loyalties with SRH are beyond doubt, but the former India player is also happy to see some of the decisions by other teams which are good for the future of Indian cricket. And he is delighted to see the elevation of Rishabh Pant as the new captain of Delhi Capitals. “The way he reads the situations and reacts accordingly (for India) is a great sign. He always had the shots, but what I like is his maturity. He hasn’t compromised on his natural flair and yet has been equally successful. His wicket-keeping has also improved so much in recent months. Pant is the future of Indian cricket,” says Laxman.
Before he signed off, we couldn’t resist asking about a mystery which is hard to explain in the IPL. India captain Virat Kohli has been an accomplished captain in all formats of the game at the international level but somehow fails to replicate the same kind of success in the IPL for his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. Even if Kohli plays for a different team, Laxman doesn’t want to play any mind games by commenting adversely on the India captain. In fact, he believes that a captain alone can’t be held responsible for a team’s fortunes. “A captain is as good as his team. No team can be just dependent on the captain only to win a trophy like the IPL. Any team which manages to win consistently gets a better chance of winning a trophy. I am sure Virat must be very determined to win IPL and there is no reason why he can’t because he has been a very successful captain for India.”
