“We do need to improve, but don’t need to overthink,” SunRisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson said after losing to Royal Challengers by 67 runs in the 54th match of the 2022 Indian Premier League in Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Sunday. This was the team’s 4th successive loss. 

“It’s been quite a challenge for us, we need to come up with ways to reverse that pressure and turnaround. These have been par totals, the batting has been quality, but as a unit there are areas to touch on. I think earlier in the competition when there was assistance with the new ball we were certainly very threatening, so we need to go back to the drawing board as we have a little gap between the next game. We will have to get a bit more creative and come up with ways to change the momentum,” he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Opting to bat first, RCB skipper Faf du Plessis led from the front with a 50-ball 73 not out, while Dinesh Karthik (eight-ball 30 not out) provided the late flourish as the team overcame an anxious start to post 192/3.

In response, SRH were bundled out for 125 as spinner Wanindu Hasaranga picked up a five-wicket haul to stymie their chase. 

“Today we were outplayed, RCB are a really strong side, in fact all teams are strong. For us it’s about looking to stay calm. We do need to improve, but don’t need to overthink. The margins are always fine, but we need to show signs of improvement. We didn’t get off to a great start, they had a very good total on that surface. It was holding a bit, and it was turning a bit, the wicket. We needed to build some partnerships and take the game deep in order to maximise the opportunities on this Wankhede ground, but we were unable to do that. A lot of learning, we were outplayed like I said, but we do have a gap. So it’s important for us to reassess and we need to be clear how we target our next matches and take it positively.”

After a five-match winning streak, SRH have slumped to four losses on the trot due to a variety of reasons, including injuries to their frontline bowler. Giving an update on the bowlers, Williamson said, “I’m not sure exactly, but I think they (Jansen, Natarajan) are recovering pretty well. Certainly hoping to see them again soon.”