After a very long time, Eoin Morgan has made his presence felt in the middle. Right throughout the World Cup, the England ODI captain Morgan was struggling with his batting form and had no clue how to lead from the front.
Even his initial performances in the IPL wasn’t anything noteworthy. But against the Rajasthan Royals at the Brabourne stadium on Thursday, he was just outstanding.
From just 28 balls, he made a solid 68 and guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to make a massive 201. It was a knock filled with five sixes and four boundaries. He also shared important stands with many of his colleagues. Opener Shikhar Dhawan too made his presence felt at the crease.
But at the end of day, they were fortunate to have won the match after the Royals went really close to winning the game. Ultimately, it was Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s fine bowling spell that restricted Shane Watson and his men.
Towards the end of Royals’ chase, Chris Morris played a blinder. Off just 11 deliveries, he made an unbeaten 34 with the help of three sixes and two fours. Earlier, Steven Smith laid the foundation with a fine 68. Even James Faulkner played a wonderful cameo. But it was not their day.
Through this chase, the Royals made it clear that nothing is impossible for this team. The fact that they are the top ranked team in the IPL this years is because of their approach in every match. But they will have to come up with a better show in the rest of their two matches to enhance their position in the points table.
After beating the Chennai Super Kings in the earlier matches, the Sunrisers again made it clear that beating big teams isn’t a big deal for this team. They have captain in David Warner, who is known for his grit at the highest level and he seems to be rubbing his confidence to rest of his teammates.
From here, if the Sunrisers can win rest of their four matches, they are in with a chance to be a part of the IPL play-offs.
