IPL 2019 | VVS Laxman believes five-day break helps Sunrisers’ team-bonding

Sunrisers Hyderabad have lost both the games in the lead up to the one against Delhi Capitals tonight, and have slipped from near the top of the table to the bottom half of the table. This came on the back of losses to Kings XI Punjab by six wickets and Mumbai Indians by 40 runs, and that made their rematch against Delhi Capitals an important one. The five-day break must have helped and VVS Laxman admitted the same by saying it gave them a chance to have a team-bonding session.

"This five-day break has come at a most opportune time for us. We had three days off cricket, focusing on recuperating and team-bonding. We had a few team dinners, indulged in competitive group activities and had a great deal of fun. The last two days have been devoted to practice, and I can see that the team is raring to hit the ground running," Laxman wrote in his column for Times of India.

"We have had five days to reflect on Sunrisers Hyderabad's defeat to Kings XI Punjab in Mohali, our second loss in a row in the IPL. It was disappointing to end up on the wrong side of the result in a close contest, and we were a little handicapped by having to bat first. Because of the heavy rain leading in to the match, the surface had a little bit of moisture early on and our batsmen struggled for timing.”

Although Kings XI Punjab won the last game, Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers kept the team in contention until the last over. With the wicket assisting the pacers, batting wasn’t easy in the first innings and Laxman was proud of the fighting spirit by the players. 

“That even someone like Davey Warner wasn't at his most fluent tells a story in itself. We recovered strongly to post 100 in the last 10 overs and put up 150 on the board, but we always felt we were maybe 20 runs short. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal imposed themselves during the chase and Kings XI seemed headed for an easy victory, but once again, our bowlers brought us back into contention. In an exciting climax, we went down with a ball to spare. The result wasn't ideal, but I was delighted with how well the boys fought it out till the end."