IPL 2022: We were outplayed, says SRH captain Kane Williamson after 67-run loss to RCB
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Kane Williamson has admitted his side was "outplayed" as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) thrashed them by 67 runs on Sunday.
After winning five games in a trot, the 2016 champions have now lost four consecutive games in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Chasing RCB's target of 193, only Rahul Tripathi stepped up for SRH, who were bowled out for a mere 125 runs at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
"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, and 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. 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," Williamson said at the post-match presentation on Sunday.
The BlackCaps captain also pointed out that his side needs to embrace the upcoming games positively and take advantage of grounds such as Wankhede, which is known to often favour the batters.
"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 as I said, but we do have a gap.
So it's important for us to reassess and we need to be clear about how we target our next matches and take it positively. I'm not sure exactly, but I think they (Jansen, Natarajan) are recovering pretty well. Certainly hoping to see them again soon," added Williamson.
With 10 points in 11 games, SRH are present sixth on the IPL 2022 table. Williamson and Co have three group games left and it is crucial for them to win in order to have a shot at the playoffs. Williamson's side has a long break before they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday (May 14) at MCA Stadium, Pune.