We are still in hunt for playoffs: Muttiah Muralitharan

SRH bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan is confident that they can still make it to the playoffs

Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered their sixth loss in nine matches going down to KKR in Super Over on Sunday, to make their playoffs hopes complicated. However, their bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan is confident that they can still make it to the playoffs.

Speaking after the loss, the Sri Lankan legend said, “It is about winning a few games and getting the momentum. We need to push for wins in the next matches. We have done that in the past and it does not need a miracle. If we put in good performances we can change things around. We have a good net run rate compared to many other teams. So we have an advantage.”

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Speaking on Kane Williamson, who struggled with a niggle, opening the innings, he revealed the idea was to make use of the powerplay. “We decided that because of his injury. He was finding it difficult to run. He was playing well so the best option for us was to allow him to play in powerplay and make use of him. He did his job very well.”

Youngster Abdul Samad went in to bat along with Warner in Super Over despite having Manish Pandey in their ranks and Murali explained that both of them were in good touch. “The last two batsmen playing in the middle were Warner and Samad. Others got out and were in the dressing room for a long time. So we sent them but it didn’t click. Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it does not. That is the beauty of cricket.”

He further lauded the bowling unit saying that they were doing a commendable job in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. “Our bowling attack is doing good. We missed Bhuvneshwar Kumar. We can’t find any fault with the bowling department as they were restricting opposition for 160 runs. Our batting failed to perform in this tournament. One of the senior players has to put his hand up and stay till the end to see the team through,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Pat Cummins lauded Lockie Freguson who played his first match of the season and won the game for KKR. “Picking Lockie for the Super Over was pretty easy. He was magnificent in the match. He has been working hard for his chances and I am very happy for him. His addition is a huge advantage to us both at the start and death overs,” said the Australian pacer.

He further hoped they would become better going forward. “We haven’t had that perfect game yet. We are a quality side and we need a bit of fine-tuning in all areas. We will become stronger going forward,” he added.

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