IPL 2018: The Secrets behind SRH's defensive excellence

#2 Williamson’s captaincy

One thing that can never be discounted when it comes to defending small totals is the role of the captain. After all, he is the one who decides who will bowl when and what pairs of bowlers will work well in a given situation. In that regard, Kane Williamson has been almost flawless in the last three games and the way he conducted the squeeze on the opposition was nothing short of masterly. For instance, in the game against MI, he did not allow the batsmen to settle and every other over of seam was followed by one of spin and vice versa. That sort of adjustment every other over in a tense chase can be disorienting and eventually it paid rich dividends.

In Sunday’s game against RR, he was missing the services of the Afghan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi but instead he turned to Yusuf Pathan to roll his arm over and the plan worked as he sent back the dangerous Ben Stokes. The precise usage of the resources and introducing bowlers at the right time against the right batsmen are absolutely paramount when it comes to defending small totals. Williamson has done it expertly in this run of three wins.