Sunrisers Hyderabad wrapped up their season with a solid 110-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders. Captain Pat Cummins mentioned that the team had the talent to do better, but things just didn’t click, particularly on slower pitches. SRH kicked off their season with a bang, scoring 286 against Rajasthan Royals and later posting the third-highest total of the season at 278 for 3. Unfortunately, they struggled in the middle part of the season, which cost them a spot in the playoffs.
Great finish. A lot of things came together in these last few games. We definitely have the talent, but there were times we didn’t play our best. We’ve got what it takes to reach the finals most years, but it just didn’t happen this time, Cummins said after the match. He noted that there will be matches where they can go all out, but others that require hard work to get to around 170, which they missed this time. He felt many players got their chances and was pleased with the squad despite dealing with injuries and lots of player changes.
On the other hand, KKR, the defending champions, ended their season on a low note, finishing eighth with 12 points from 14 games. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane reflected on missed chances and said that poor bowling execution really hurt them, as they were bowled out for 168 while chasing 279.
I thought they batted really well. Sure, we made some mistakes while bowling. They took advantage of loose balls and handled the good ones too. Credit to the SRH batters—their intent was excellent, Rahane said. He added that they talked about strategies like bowling slower and wider, but when the plan wasn’t executed well, it didn’t work out, especially against hitters like Klaasen.
Looking back at the season, Rahane stated, We had our moments and opportunities, and a few close games where we didn’t play well as a team. Overall, we gave our best, and in this tough format, you have to be on your game all the time. With the chances we had, we could have been at the top of the table. But he has no regrets, seeing it as a learning experience. All the players tried hard, and we’ll come back stronger next year, he said.
