NEW DELHI: As Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) prepare for their Sunday matchup against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, bowler
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
expressed confidence that his team would win the Indian Premier League (IPL).
SRH defeated Rajasthan Royals by 36 runs in Qualifier 2 on Friday to reach the final. However, they lost Qualifier 1 against KKR by eight wickets and were scheduled to play the encounter against Rajasthan for the final spot.
This is the first time in six seasons that Hyderabad are playing the final.
They last reached the final in 2018 and lost the title to MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings.
In the last three seasons, they failed to reach the playoffs and in fact, finished at bottom in the previous edition of the IPL.
Bhuvaneshwar emphasized his eagerness to lift the trophy and his excitement to play in the summit clash.
"It's a different feeling because we hadn't played in the playoffs for the last three seasons. It's a great feeling. The way we were playing this season, we had a feeling we would reach the final, and then it was a one-match scenario. Everyone's happy with how everyone has contributed, it was fantastic teamwork... Winning the IPL title is really special and now that we have reached the final, we will definitely win the trophy," Bhuvaneshwar told Jiocinema.
After scoring 37 runs against Rajasthan,
Rahul Tripathi
stated he was awaiting his chance to show off his skills. This season, he participated in just five games but amassed 156 runs, including a half-century.
"I had to wait for my opportunity, it was tough. Even when I wasn't playing, I was thinking about how I would help the team when the opportunity came my way and how I could put my best foot forward. That thinking helped me. My preparation was to contribute positively whenever I got an opportunity," he said.
Anil Kumble, a former spinner for India, praised Shabaz Ahmed for his all-around effort on Friday, which earned him Player of the Match.
In his four-over stint, he not only made eighteen runs but also claimed three vital wickets of Ravichandran Ashwin (0), Riyan Parag (6), and
Yashaasvi Jaiswal
(42), holding Rajasthan to 139/7 in 20 overs.
"Even with his previous franchise, RCB, he had the cricket smarts. He came in a different position, and even today, he batted. Yes, he bowled really well and got the length right. On Chennai pitches, you need to get the length right and bowl stump-to-stump, that's all you need to do," Kumble said.
"You don't need to think about anything else. You have to try to spin the ball, hit the pitch, and bowl a good length where it's going to hit the stumps and that's exactly what Shabhaz did. With the bat, his partnership with Klaasen, he batted really well. They were losing wickets, and his job was to be there till Klaasen was there and then take a chance. He did that to good effect," he added.
(With IANS inputs)
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