"Don't think he's an easy bowler to pick" - Michael Vaughan heaps praise on SRH leg-spinner Mayank Markande
Michael Vaughan showered high praise for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) leg spinner Mayank Markande, pointing out how batters haven't been able to pick him in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Markande was the pick of the bowlers for Hyderabad in their match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, April 29. The crafty spinner conceded just 20 runs from his four overs while also bagging two wickets. He played a major role in the team's crucial nine-run win over Delhi as Hyderabad successfully defended 198 runs.
The former England skipper mentioned that it wasn't easy to hit big shots against Mayank Markande, as he kept the batters guessing with his variations. Speaking to Cricbuzz about the 25-year-old's bowling exploits in the DC vs SRH tie, Michael Vaughan said:
"He [Mayank Markande] is clever. He has got the ability to spin it either way. I don't think he's an easy bowler to pick, so the batters have got that kind of feeling of which way is it going to be spinning. It is hard to hit down the ground when you are not too sure which way it is spinning."
Markande brought SRH back into the contest by taking a fantastic return catch to dismiss Philip Salt, who scored 59 runs off 35 balls. He then cleaned up Priyam Garg to put SRH on top.
A great win for Sunrisers Hyderabad over Delhi Capitals.
📸: IPL
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With 10 wickets from six outings, he is currently the leading wicket-taker for his side this season. Furthermore, he has a fantastic economy rate of 6.41 to his name.
"Head and shoulders above the rest" - Michael Vaughan on SRH opener Abhishek Sharma
Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma starred with the bat against DC, hitting his maiden half-century in this edition of the IPL.
The left-handed batter fought a lone battle in the first half of the innings, mustering 67 runs off just 36 balls at an impressive strike rate of 186.11.
Michael Vaughan lauded the youngster for his impactful knock. He suggested that despite the pitch not being an easy one to bat on, Sharma did a commendable job, adding:
"He [Abhishek Sharma] batted beautifully. He was a standout. There was no one else really contributing until [Heinrich] Klaasen was out there. But he played pure. It wasn't an easy wicket, particularly in the first half of the game. He played some glorious shots. He stood out, head and shoulders above the rest."
A superb innings from Abhishek Sharma comes to an end.
📸: IPL
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It is worth mentioning that Abhishek Sharma also contributed with the ball, dismissing Manish Pandey. He returned with figures of 1/26 from three overs.