Sunrisers can be proud of their effort: White

 

New Delhi – Sunrisers Hyderabad came up short against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator here but their inaugural Indian Premier League campaign was a successful one, their captain Cameron White has said.

Sunrisers won 10 out of their 16 league matches before losing the knock-out game against Rajasthan Royals at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Wednesday.

The team inherited a bulk of the players from the now defunct Deccan Chargers.

“It’s been a great effort from Sunrisers this season. We won 10 games and made the play-offs. With a new franchise and new players coming together, I would call it a fantastic and successful campaign,” White told reporters after their four-wicket loss here.

“With the new auction coming up, I don’t know who will remain with the team. There could be a new set of players, whatever the franchise decides on, we will be strong enough next year,” said White, who shared the captaincy with Kumar Sangakkara this season.

While the Sunrisers’ bowling took them to the play-offs, their batting failed to deliver consistently.

“Most of the times in Hyderabad, 130 was a pretty good score. Thanks to the bowlers, we were able to defend it. Having said that there is no doubt that the batsmen needed to do more,” said the Australian.

White defended some of the young Indian players for not performing regularly.

Referring to number three batsman Hanuma Vihari, who scored 241 runs in 17 games at a modest strike rate of 86.69, White said: “One of the great things about the IPL is that it exposes this young Indian talent and if they can come through in some high-pressure tournaments like this, it’s great for the future of the Indian cricket. I am sure Vihari will be a better player in the future,” he added.