IPL 2019 | Cannot take anything for granted in IPL, says Mohammad Kaif

After a disappointing result against the Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Monday, JSW and GMR co-owned franchise, Delhi Capitals will look to bounce back as they host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Thursday. Assistant Coach Mohammad Kaif spoke to the media ahead of the exciting tie.

Kaif was subject to questions on the Delhi Capitals’ batting collapse in the past two matches, and this is what he had to say, “We know that we have a great top-order which consists of Shaw, Dhawan, Iyer and Pant. But we also have some experienced middle-order batsmen who are good finishers as well. We do depend a lot on Morris and Ingram to finish the game off but Morris got run-out in the last match which was unfortunate. We are hoping the players will learn from their errors on the field, and deliver in the upcoming matches. We still sit in a good position with 4 matches played, where we have won two matches and have lost two matches. We are definitely disappointed about the last match which we should have won, but that is the beauty of the IPL, that you cannot take anything for granted.”

Kaif said that he feels that the middle and lower order always face a difficult task when they come in to bat towards the end of an innings. He said, “The finishers do have a very difficult role, especially when they just come in to bat. They don’t have time to get used to the conditions, so I think that’s why the top-order has to play through the innings when they get a start.”

Quizzed on whether his openers are letting the team down by not playing through the innings, Kaif said, “I think the openers have been fabulous so far. Prithvi Shaw played a great innings against KKR and looked very good, while Shikhar has been consistently playing well. We would obviously like them to bat through the innings depending on the situation. Both the players are world-class, and more often than not, we don’t need to tell them what to do. They know their job and we believe in them. We also feel that the middle-order can take more responsibility and finish off the innings well.”

Speaking on what the pitch at Feroz Shah Kotla might offer against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the former Indian player said, “At Kotla, it has been a slow and low pitch so it is imperative for us to make use of the power-play. I think there is not enough pace in the pitch. But we have seen some different wickets in the first two matches here. When we have the pace on this pitch, it becomes a high-scoring one because with the bounce, the batsmen play well. But when the pitch becomes slower, you have to have the gift of power and placement. Overall, I think both the teams will look to utilize the first six overs.”

Looking forward to the next match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kaif said that even though SRH have a strong batting line-up, their middle and lower order hasn’t been tested this season. He said, “All their players haven’t got the chance to get going, so if we pick up Warner and Bairstow early in the power-play, life can become tough for their middle-order. Their middle and lower order batsmen haven’t been exploited so far this season, and that will be our main area of focus tomorrow.”

In last season’s corresponding fixture, it was the visiting team who triumphed to a 9-wicket victory as they chased down a target of 188 with seven balls to spare. Delhi’s Risbhabh Pant scored a blistering 128 not out off 63 balls to power his team to a score of 187/5 in the 20 overs. However, in response, former SRH player, Shikhar Dhawan (92 off 50) and their captain Kane Williamson (83 off 53) led Sunrisers Hyderabad to a convincing 9-wicket win.

The two teams have faced each other on 12 occasions in IPL history, with Sunrisers Hyderabad having won 8 matches while Delhi only have four wins.

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