Sunrisers Hyderabad Abhishek Sharma returns back to the pavilion. (NOT a photo) NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach Varun Aaron stressed the importance of patience with high-impact players and insisted that Abhishek Sharma deserved “freedom” during his lean phase before his stunning unbeaten 135 against Delhi Capitals.Abhishek’s 68-ball masterclass guided SRH to an impressive 47-run victory, with the opening batting from start to finish, displaying both restraint and explosive strokeplay. But for Aaron, the knock was less of a surprise and more a reflection of a long-trusted process.
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Matthew Hayden reacts after Gujarat Titans’ defeat against Mumbai Indians “I think he’s always had that maturity and that’s been there the last couple of years. You can’t be the number one T20 batsman in the world without being mature. He’s obviously someone who sees the opposition, sees the surface and decides to play a certain way,” Aaron said after the match.‘You have to give him a break’Aaron pointed out that Abhishek’s high-risk, high-reward style naturally brings ups and downs, and supporting such players through setbacks is crucial.“Today it wasn’t a surface where you could give hell with every ball. So you have to respect the opposition, you have to respect the surface and he did exactly that,” he explained.“And I think he’s shown that in the past, but obviously when you’re playing a high-risk, high-reward game, sometimes it doesn’t work out and you have to give a player like Abhishek space.The innings marked the continuation of Abhishek’s resurgence after an inconsistent start earlier in the year, cementing his reputation as one of the most dangerous T20 batsmen.The bowlers back up a big totalWhile Abhishek headlined the victory, the SRH bowlers ensured that the result was never in doubt. Eshan Malinga led the charge with a decisive four-wicket haul while young pacer Sakib Hussain impressed with his variations.
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“They have the skills that set them apart… Malinga gets the ball to reverse, even in the 11th or 12th over, which is difficult for the opposition. He can execute yorkers, he has a great slower ball and he can bowl 140 plus,” Aaron said. “With Sakib, the slower ball is just brilliant…same arm speed, does his yorkers, can bowl 140 plus.Aaron revealed that SRH’s strategy this season was to build a bowling unit capable of adapting to the conditions.
