“Just couldn’t deliver the knockout punch” - Aiden Markram on SRH losing close games in IPL 2023

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Aiden Markram conceded that his team have failed to deliver the goods under pressure. Despite SRH's chances of qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 playoffs being very slim, the South African remained optimistic, stating that they would look to do well in the remaining games.

Delhi Capitals’ (DC) seven-wicket triumph over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Saturday, May 6, pushed Hyderabad to the bottom of the points table. Markram and Co. have managed only three wins from nine games.

SRH were in a comfortable position in their last match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) but slipped to register a five-run defeat. They will now face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur on Sunday.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Markram opened up on Hyderabad’s disappointing IPL 2023 campaign. He commented:

“Unfortunately, we have not done it the way we would have liked it. There were a couple of very close defeats including the last one against KKR. We could not be able to cross the lines. We can’t change what has happened so far. We still have five games, and we are hopeful of good results in those games.”

SRH have suffered due to lack of consistency in batting, Markram himself being one of the culprits. Expensive buys like Harry Brook and Mayank Agarwal have also not lived up to expectations. Heinrich Klaasen has been among the few batters who have delivered consistently.

Reviewing the performances, the Hyderabad captain admitted:

“It is not the ideal situation to be in when you are second from the bottom. We need to forget the past and focus on the remaining outings. The competition is stiff, and this is the toughest league.

"We have not been able to deliver despite trying hard. The positive part is we have been able to put up quite a strong fight in the last couple of matches. We are close but just couldn’t deliver the knockout punch.”

While Markram has scored 173 runs in eight matches, Brook and Agarwal have managed 163 and 187 runs respectively, having played nine games. Batting in the lower-middle order, Klaasen has had to shore up the innings multiple times. He has contributed 189 runs at a strike rate of 181.73.

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“It’s still a pitch that you can score runs on” - Markram on challenge of batting in Jaipur

SRH landed in Jaipur early for their clash against RR. They got to witness Gujarat Titans (GT) hammer the home team by nine wickets on Friday.

Sharing his observations on the game, Markram stated that GT proved runs can be scored on the surface. He said:

“Obviously, guys go to their rooms and then do their own things to take a bit of off time. But I believe I don’t watch too much of the game. It was kind of on in the background and we saw it. It was a low-scoring game, but we saw with Gujarat innings when they batted, it’s still a pitch that you can score runs on. So, we’re looking at it from that point of view."

After bundling out RR for 118, GT romped home in the chase in 13.5 overs.