In the IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) emerged victorious by 65 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
SRH`s Nitish Kumar Reddy played a crucial role by scoring 39 runs in 24 balls, including four boundaries and a maximum. However, he dismissed the claims that SRH has a weak bowling line-up.
“Sorry to say, sir, but the bowling unit is not as weak as you think. On paper, as you said, there are experienced players like Jaydev Unadkat and Ishan Malinga who are doing really well, and Payne has also been very good. So I don`t think we have a weak bowling side,” he told the reporters.
Later, Nitish also contributed with the ball by claiming two wickets for 17 runs in two overs.
He also stated that SRH`s bowlers, who have performed well on flat tracks in Hyderabad, deserve to be appreciated.
“It`s just that the brand of cricket we`ve been playing and the scores we`ve put on the scoreboard make it seem like the batting is very strong, but I would rate my bowling unit equally highly. They`ve been very good in that department, especially when playing in Hyderabad. Those wickets are quite flat, and you should appreciate the bowlers who have performed in those conditions because it`s never easy,” said Nitish.
He signed off by saying that the side`s explosive batting line-up could have made it look as if the bowling unit was weak.
“Even in such situations, the bowling unit has managed to defend, and you could see the result today. So we have done well as a bowling unit. I wouldn`t say we were weak on paper, but our batting is so explosive that it might give that impression,” he concluded.
SRH will now gear up to take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
IPL 2026, Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants: Full Squads
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Ishan Kishan (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, Zeeshan Ansari, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards, Harsh Dubey, Salil Arora (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Smaran Ravichandran, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Aniket Verma, Shivang Kumar, Krains Bhaveshbhai Fuletra, Omkar Tarmale.
Lucknow Super Giants: Mitchell Marsh, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anrich Nortje, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Avesh Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Himmar Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Josh Inglis (WK), M Siddharth, Moshin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Singh, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Mayank Yadav, M Choudhary (WK), Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi.
(With ANI Inputs)
