Williamson-led SRH up for MI challenge

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been advised rest for the rubber but Shikhar Dhawan, after taking a fitness test, is a hopeful; MI will reply on skipper Rohit Sharma to fire upfront.

Kane Williamson (right) stirred up a storm trying to take his side over the line, stroking 84 off 51 balls against Chennai Super Kings, on Sunday.

 

Kane Williamson stirred up a storm trying to take his side over the line, stroking 84 off 51 balls against Chennai Super Kings, on Sunday. Defeats can deflate teams but Sunrisers Hyderabad can count its blessings as it gears up for the encounter against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium here on Tuesday.

Skipper Williamson’s graceful yet orthodox shots almost turned the tide for SRH and he will look to continue the momentum against MI.

The host will be challenged by canny bowlers like Rashid Khan, Shakib Al Hasan and Siddharth Kaul, who have been delivering the goods for the Williamson-led unit. The bowlers looked in good shape in the tournament except for one game when Chris Gayle sent them on a leather hunt.

READ: CSK prevails over SRH in a thriller

But the visitor will miss the services of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has not travelled with the team. He has been advised rest for incurring a stuff back during the game against CSK.

With only one win in five games, MI will need skipper Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav — who has been in great touch this season — and Evin Lewis to fire upfront. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan will also be under the spotlight for his hard-hitting abilities.

Both teams lost close games and Williamson explained the mindset needed to stage a comeback. “Sometimes when you lose games, you want to win more. It is best to go back to the base level and control things the best we can. There is a fine line between winning and losing in T20 cricket and we do try not to get carried away by the losses. We keep backing ourselves with performances,” he said.

The only foreigner leading a side this time, the Kiwi appears to be in control of himself and situations. “The responsibility of a captain, or a leader in the side is to know what can help next and to remind ourselves about how best we can offer to those around us, rather than getting too caught up with the emotion of it all. It is a challenge to remain calm and (pressure) gets the better of us at times.”

He will be more confident with Shikhar Dhawan around. The left-hander took a fitness test, after sitting out of the CSK game, due to an elbow injury.