Star opener of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Abhishek Sharma, credited the six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to the team's understanding of the strip that was rolled out for the 18th game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season 17.
Player of the Match (POTM) Abhishek revealed after the game that they (SRH) needed to go hell for leather in the powerplay to stand a chance of chasing the total set by CSK as the wicket was slowing down gradually.
"While bowling, we felt that it was a bit (of a) slow wicket. So we knew that somehow if we take the powerplay on, then we could just go with the flow after that," Abhishek told the host broadcaster after the game.
"We had a chance to prepare well before the IPL. We knew it was going to be a bit slow. But not much. If we take on the bowler, it is difficult for the bowler as well."
Abhishek looked in sublime touch during the course of the game and provided the jumpstart that the hosts needed while chasing in front of their home crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
The 23-year-old smashed a quick-fire 37 off just 12 balls at a scintillating strike rate of 308.33 but more importantly, scored 46 runs in just 2.4 overs for the first wicket while batting alongside Travis Head (31 off 24 balls) to put the pressure early on the CSK bowlers.
Abhishek was the first wicket to fall for Hyderabad and was replaced by Aiden Markram in the middle who anchored the chase well and scored a match-winning fifty.
Markram also echoed the same words as his SRH teammate and mentioned that the wicket got "tougher and tougher" as the game progressed. He also added that teams prefer to take the risk up front by going hard in the powerplay.
"We saw when we bowled the first ten overs (that) it was coming on all right. And after that, it got tougher and tougher (to score quickly on). When we batted, we really looked to take on that first ten and hopefully get into a good enough position from there. In the powerplay, you have seen now for long enough that teams have taken it on and that's the right way to go," said Markram.
