'World Can See The Class...,' Aiden Markram Praises His Teammate
Aiden Markram | Source: Twitter
Sunrisers Hyderabad's recent loss against the Gujarat Titans by 34 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, dealt a severe blow to their tournament campaign as their chances of making it to the IPL 2023 playoffs have crumbled.
Having won the toss, Sunrisers Hyderabad elected to bowl first. However, their decision backfired when the hosts amassed a total of 188 runs at the end of the first innings.
Although Sunrisers Hyderabad did manage to take nine wickets, the majority of the breakthroughs came in the death overs, as Shubman Gill unleashed his dominance and tore apart the Sunrisers' bowling attack with a magnificent maiden IPL century.
In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad's batting lineup struggled as none of their batters could rise to the occasion. The sole standout was once again Heinrich Klaasen, who delivered a stunning knock of 64 runs off just 44 balls while the other SRH batters failed to even reach the 30-run mark.
In the end, Sunrisers Hyderabad could only muster 159 runs for the loss of nine wickets, succumbing to a defeat by 34 runs. Speaking in the post-match conference, captain Aiden Markram, showered accolades on Klaasen for his exceptional batting performances this season.
Here’s what Markram said:
“He's a great player and I'm very happy for him, the world can see the class and power he's got. The rest of us haven't assisted him. It's tough for him to be on the losing side after performing the way he has,”
Reflecting on Shubman Gill’s magnificent century knock, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s five-wicket haul, Markram said:
"We were slightly off, to be honest. We've got high-class bowlers who can swing the ball. Shubman's innings was incredible and so did their number three. We stuck in there and credit goes to Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] to show us how it's done,”
What’s next for Sunrisers Hyderabad?
Out of the 12 matches played by them in the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad have managed to win only four while losing eight.
With a total of eight points in their kitty at present, their chances of qualifying for the playoffs are slim, regardless of winning their remaining two games, considering the fierce competition among teams for the top four spots.
Reflecting on the two remaining games that hold no value for their playoff chances but can impact other teams' chances, Markram expressed the team's plan to give new players a chance and potentially spoil the party for their opponents. Here’s what he said:
"A lot of pride for us to play for. We'll try to give some opportunities if we're allowed to. It'll be nice to finish off the tournament in good spirits but unfortunately, we haven't been good enough in the tournament this year. When a team is down in the backend, it can go either of the two ways.”
The 2016 IPL champions are set to face Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, both of whom are currently vying for a spot in the top four and the playoffs. It will be captivating to see if Sunrisers Hyderabad can upset their chances and spoil their party.
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