"Got out at the wrong time" - Deep Dasgupta on SRH skipper Aiden Markram's knock vs KKR
Deep Dasgupta believes that SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Aiden Markram should have batted till the end during the team's run chase against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Thursday, May 4.
The former Indian wicketkeeper opined that since Markram took his time to get going, it was his responsibility to steer his team to victory. Dasgupta suggested that the SRH skipper was responsible for the team's defeat to some extent.
Notably, Markram was the top run-getter for Hyderabad in the IPL 2023 contest at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, scoring 41 runs off 40 balls. SRH, who were cruising at one stage, choked eventually and failed to chase down the 172-run total.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after Hyderabad's five-run loss, Dasgupta explained:
"It seemed alright actually, and then you suddenly realize they've allowed the game to [slip]. I think it boils down to Markram. The way he got out and the time when he got out.
"It would have been a really good innings if he had finished the game. But because he hasn't, you look back at that innings and think not a good strike rate and he got out at the wrong time. He has got to take a bit of that blame."
During the discussion, former Australian speedster Shaun Tait emphasized that Markram played with the right approach. He highlighted that the South African didn't get enough support from the rest of the batters, adding:
"I thought Markram was doing the right thing. The way he was going about it was right at that time. It just looks ugly when you get out. But I think either side of him, there was nothing."
Another nail-biting finish in IPL 2023 🔥
📸: IPL
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Notably, Hyderabad needed nine runs from the final over. Varun Chakravarthy bowled excellently under pressure to help Kolkata clinch victory.
"You've got to produce innings of substance" - Deep Dasgupta on SRH batter Rahul Tripathi
Deep Dasgupta further stated that Rahul Tripathi cannot just chip in with quick-fire cameos while batting at the crucial No. 3 position for SRH.
He noted that the right-handed batter scored 20 runs from nine balls against Kolkata. The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested that such a knock would have proved to be more impactful if it came from a middle-order batter.
The 45-year-old added:
"Rahul Tripathi looks really good and plays those impactful innings. That 9-ball 20 would look so much better had it come at No. 5 or No. 6. But at No.3, you've got to produce innings of substance. It's not just about impact."
Shaun Tait mentioned that Heinrich Klaasen is forced to play two roles because of his batting position for Hyderabad. He claimed that the swashbuckling batter will enjoy more success if he is asked to play as the finisher.
He remarked:
"I just think he [Heinrich Klaasen] is probably in a little bit early and is asked to do a little bit too much spadework before that finishing touch. I don't think he is that guy. I think he is a guy that if Harry Brook got 30 or 40, then Klaasen comes in for five overs and finishes it off. But at the moment, he is being asked to do two roles. Maybe he is not the man to do two roles."
Klaasen mustered 36 runs in 20 balls against KKR. He has done reasonably well for SRH this season, aggregating 189 runs from six innings at a strike rate of 181.73.