Shakib Al Hasan, the Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder accepted it was Shane Watson’s belligerent innings that single-handedly took the game away from them as they went down by six wickets against Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday (April 23).

After a rather bleak first half of IPL 2019, Watson roared in back in form with a 53-Ball 96, catapulting Chennai Super Kings to the top of the table once again. The Australian looked scratchy in the initial few overs especially against the swing of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, but once settled, he took the MA Chidambaram Stadium by storm.

“Yes, he was struggling initially in the first four to five overs when the ball was moving. But we all know once he gets in, it becomes very difficult to dislodge him,” said Shakib on Watson’s knock. “He just took four to five balls to cover it up because he can hit that many sixes. He was at a run-a-ball till about 22 or 25 and then he scored 96 in 51 (53) balls.

“That is how his conversion rate is. A player like that you need to take him quickly, else you will be out of the game.”

Another player who turned his fortunes around on Tuesday was Manish Pandey. Having been severely out of touch, Pandey, given a chance to move up to No.3 after Kane Williamson flew back to New Zealand following his grandmother’s demise, made full use of the chance scorching his way to a 49-ball 83*.

His efforts did not eventually culminate in a win but Pandey’s power-packed half-century impressed one and all including Shakib.

“Kane wasn’t there so that gives the team management a chance to push someone at No.3. They did that today and Manish grabbed it with both hands. The way he played, I thought it was terrific. From the first ball itself, he looked in good nick and hopefully he can continue this form for us,” Shakib said.

It has been a mixed tournament for Shakib himself. In a team which has a plethora of international superstars, the Bangladesh all-rounder has found himself confined to the sidelines for most games. The encounter against Chennai was just his second of the season but the 32-year-old insisted that with the likes of Jonny Bairstow and David Warner doing so well, it has not always been easy getting into the playing eleven.

“As a professional player we know our job. The way our overseas players were playing, they couldn’t pick me, there were no opportunities for me. So, I knew that’s what is going to happen given the squad that we have,” Shakib remarked.

“The inclusion of Warner and Jonny Bairstow and the way they have played, I think they have scored 60-70 per cent of our team. Then Kane (Williamson) is the captain of our team and Rashid is well Rashid, so it’s hard to get a chance but I needed to make sure that I work hard and when my opportunities come, I need to contribute to the team.”

While Bairstow has played his last game for the franchise, Warner will soon depart too with both players going back to their respective national camps in a bid to prepare for the upcoming World Cup. However, Shakib was confident despite the huge hole at the top of the order with the two players leaving, Hyderabad have plans in place to counter it.

“Jonny is leaving tomorrow, so we need to have a different plan. Obviously, the team management will have a look at the opposition and the condition and then they will think what is the best combination. Because we have such a strong squad they have six to seen combinations and from there they need to pick one. They are the think tank and I am sure they will take the right decision,” Shakib said.

The post IPL 2019 Have to Take a Player Like Shane Watson Out Early Else He’ll Make You Pay Shakib al Hasan appeared first on Its a Free World to Blog | Blog Directory | Article Directory.