Bengaluru: Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody is a practical man. Though Yuvraj Singh is crucial to their plans, the left-hander’s finger injury has put a spoke in their wheels. On the eve of the Eliminator against Kolkata Knight Riders, Moody kept his options open.
“Yuvraj will be undergoing a fitness test this (Tuesday) evening. We will be giving him obviously the opportunity to prove his fitness,” he said guardedly.
Yuvraj, who missed the previous game against Gujarat Lions, had a go at the nets but a final decision will only be taken on Wednesday morning.
In Yuvraj’s absence, SRH brought in Deepak Hooda against the Lions but the batsman wasn’t needed as David Warner pulled his weight once again.
Both Warner and Gautam Gambhir are feisty with a full-on approach on the field and Moody held forth on the battle between the skippers.
“They are two captains who like to lead from the front and do it successfully. Gambhir has been leading KKR for number of years and is a fine player. David has done exceptionally well for us for the past two years. He relishes the role and responsibilities of a captain. David has been terrific with what he has delivered on the field for us. David is one of those players who relishes the challenges of leadership. Knowing him, in his batting and fielding he has taken another step upwards.”
Sunrisers, who were forced to split the points with Royal Challengers in the washed out match during the league stage, are looking at competitive total.
“We are fully aware of the challenges teams have faced here in Bangalore. Unfortunately, we had a washout here. If you get 150-160 you are very much in the contest. So you need to adapt the way you play.Certainly you have to get the balance of your side accordingly.
Moody was also fulsome in his praise for Purple Cap holder Bhuvneshwar Kumar. “Bhuvi has shown that he is not only one of India’s best T20 bowlers but you can easily put him in as one of the leading bowlers in the world because of what he had done statistically in conditions which can be challenging for the fast bowlers.”
