IPL 2019 | Losing David Warner and Jonny Bairstow would be a big blow ,says Kane Williamson

Sunrisers Hyderabad sealed their fifth win in the 12th edition of IPL by slumping Kolkata Knight Riders down to their fifth straight loss. The hosts looked dominant throughout the innings by outplaying their opposition with the ball in the first half and later putting up a brilliant display with the bat thus registering a nine-wicket win with 30 balls to spare. This has also maintained an amiable net run rate of 0.74, which is the highest amongst their counterparts.

SRH’s swashbuckling openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow dominated the second half with their exceptional half-centuries as their 131-run opening partnership saw the side register a nine-wicket win. 

However, SRH might be looking naive and clueless for banking on their openers heavily after they leave at the final stages of the tournament since getting drafted by their respective cricket boards for World Cup 2019. And Kane Williamson addressed this issue admitting that it would be a big blow for the team.

“I don't think it changed a huge amount. It slowed down a bit. We kept them down to a low total. It was a complete performance. It is a tough tournament. You need to adapt. Let's hope they continue. Everyone is trying to play their roles. To take nothing away from the first half, the bowlers did really well. It has been a pleasure to watch them bat. We know that we would come in as a middle order when needed. They (Bairstow and Warner) are gonna be big losses. They are world class players and they will be missed at the back end," said Williamson on the post-match presentation on Sunday, reported Cricbuzz.

Khaleel Ahmed, who was awarded with Man of the Match award by bagging three wickets with an economy rate of 8.2, sounded delighted by his display stating that it was a pleasure performing his part for the team knowing the conditions of the wickets and also added that he has been working on his fitness to go ahead.

“Quite a good feeling. The wicket was a little bit slow. After a while, I understood how the wicket was behaving. They played exceptionally well. My mom used to tell me win a man of the match award and I dedicate this award to her. I have been working on my fitness and trying to get stronger,” said Ahmed.