Sunrisers Hyderabad middle-order needs to wake up: Lokesh Rahul

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) With the middle-order failing to get the team home time and again, Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Lokesh Rahul on Sunday said that with a couple of games left in the pool stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL), it is high time the batsmen should wake up and deliver.

After Mumbai Indians elected to bat on Saturday, Sunrisers restricted the hosts to 157/8 in 20 overs. But an excellent bowling performance by Mumbai bowlers Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan and Jagadeesha Suchith halted the Sunrisers 20 short of the target.

"The middle-order has to wake up and get runs for the team. If they keep batting like this then there is going to be too much pressure on Warner and Dhawan at the top of the order," Rahul was quoted as saying by iplt20.com.

Rahul was critical of his own performance, who scored 25 off 27, highlighting the areas that he would need to work on.

"It is very disappointing that I couldn't close the game for the team. I need to play smartly. I have been playing some stupid shots. I have been getting off to starts, which is a positive sign. My feet are moving well and I am looking confident, but I have to be a smarter in the middle and soak up that pressure," he said.

Apart from the negatives, Rahul reflected on the positives from the game and reserved some high praise for the bowling unit.

"Throughout the tournament the bowlers have been doing really well. We have been bowling very well at the death and hardly given away many runs towards the end of the innings. It has been an incredible effort from all the fast bowlers and our bowling unit has been one of the highlights in the tournament so far," the 23-year-old said.