Kane Williamson applauds Dhawan for his contribution against Delhi Daredevils

Kane Williamson applauds Dhawan for his contribution against Delhi Daredevils

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BCCI

Kane Williamson has credited Shikhar Dhawan for helping him settle in during his first ever outing in the IPL against Delhi Daredevils. After losing David Warner early, Williamson and Dhawan steadied the ship stitching together a 136 run partnership with the Kiwi leading the way with 89 runs.

Williamson was ably assisted by Dhawan (70) during their partnership and the Kiwi praised the way the southpaw paced his innings as it allowed him to play himself in before taking the attack to the Delhi bowlers.

“Shikhar was fantastic. The way he was able to graft through the middle and then pick up the strike rate at the end was wonderful. The partnership helped us post a big total on the board. We had to focus on the situation and knowing that there's a lot of firepower in Yuvi, Moises, Naman, you are trying to do the team justice but increasing the strike rate. The way he played allowed me to get in. T20 is very fickle in its nature. You take the risks and it's always good when they come off. You have to adapt the best you can," Williamson told IPLT20.com.

The Kiwi's knock is even more commendable given that he was warming the SRH bench in the IPL so far. While Williamson has been known for his exploits on the longer form of the game there have always been question marks on whether he can cut in the shortest format. Following his innings, the 26-year-old has revealed the kind of mental adjustments that need to be made to succeed in T20 cricket. "Nice to get a game and fortunate that I was able to contribute."

"Nice to get a game and fortunate that I was able to contribute. Sitting on the bench in the first few games is part and parcel of the IPL. The guys were doing a really good job. You are always practicing to be ready but it also has to do a little bit with the mental shift as well from the other formats we have been playing," The Kiwi skipper added.

After Williamson and Dhawan’s heroics, it was the Hyderabad bowlers who took charge of the proceedings led by Mohammed Siraj and Siddharth Kaul. Playing his first game of the season, Siraj said he was under pressure, especially since he went for runs in his first two overs.

"I came to know this morning that I'll be playing. I was mentally prepared but there was pressure as well. I've learned a lot from Bhuvi and Ashish bhai. After I was hit for runs in the first two overs, all I was thinking was that I have to make a strong comeback."

Together, Siraj and Kaul ensured a 15 run win for the home side over the Delhi Daredevils, as they maintained their perfect home record. Finally, not only will Siraj take heart from his performance yesterday, he can also expect to find himself in the Sunrisers squad in the upcoming games.

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