NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad captain
Pat Cummins
showered praise on young talent
Nitish Reddy
, whose stellar all-round performance propelled their side to a thrilling two-run victory over Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League clash on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old Reddy's brilliant knock of 64 off 37 balls, coupled with his valuable contribution with the ball, earned him the player of the match award.
Cummins lauded Reddy's performance, highlighting his versatility and impact on the game.
"He was awesome, top of the order, fantastic in the field, bowled three overs too. To get us to 180 off his bat, it was amazing," Cummins remarked, emphasizing Reddy's crucial role in SRH's triumph.
Reflecting on the team's strategy, Cummins commended their positive approach despite facing challenges.
"They bowled really well at the start, we did well to get to 182 and then defended it. The beauty of the impact player is that you feel you have really deep batting. We try to be positive, to take the game on," he explained.
The Australian skipper emphasized the importance of setting a competitive total and praised their bowlers for executing their plans effectively.
"You get 150-160, you are going to lose nine out of ten games anyway. We knew the new ball was going to be a key time. We were pretty happy (with our score)," Cummins added.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings captain
Shikhar Dhawan
acknowledged the efforts of his young batsmen
Shashank Singh
and Ashutosh Sharma, who almost led their team to victory.
"It is great to see those youngsters coming in and chipping in. There was always the hope that they could finish the game. Hats off to them that they brought it this close," Dhawan remarked.
Reflecting on their team's performance, Dhawan admitted to the shortcomings in their batting unit.
"As a batting unit, we did not perform. It is important for the top order to perform. We are going to bounce back from this loss. We have to do better in certain areas and improve," he asserted.
Reddy himself expressed satisfaction with his performance and credited his belief in himself for the success.
"I have been talking to myself that I have to believe in myself and that I have to be there (for my team)," Reddy stated, highlighting his mental strength.
Looking ahead, Reddy expressed his determination to continue contributing to the team's success in all aspects of the game.
"I just want to continue this performance for my team, with the bat, with the ball and in the field. I just want to be like this," he concluded, outlining his aspirations for the remainder of the tournament.
(With inputs from PTI)
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