Virender Sehwag, the Delhi Daredevils skipper, gave his batsman Venugopal Rao a huge clinch the moment James Hopes hit Jesse Ryder for a boundary to bring in the winning runs on Sunday evening. It was Delhi Daredevils' first success this IPL and coming against a team that had not dropped a single match in the tournament so far made it all the more special. Sehwag & Co had been talking a lot about how one match could modify things in the contest which is still in its very early stages, but they needed someone who would stand out in the middle on a given day and do the job.
On Sunday, against Warriors and a sturdy target set by them, the Daredevils found their man in Prior.The batsman walked in when the match was still on the edge for either side and took 20-balls to score 31, inclusive of a four and three sixes that made the difference towards the end. The 29-year-old may not seem the most showy willow wielder in business and surely not the kind who you would see pumping fists from giant-sized posters. On the contrary, he's as shy as they come, preferring secrecy in a world where cricketers simply despise the word.
Says Sehwag, "We knew what he had done in the first three seasons of IPL. He was one of the most dependable scorers and that is why we went ahead and bought him this time."Daredevils bought Rao for no less than $700,000 in the auction this year."They showed huge trust in me and I'm thankful. Now, all I have to do is perform to the best of my ability," Rao had said back then.
On Sunday, it was only the beginning and it was a job well begun. In fact, as Sehwag points out, Rao's 40-ball 60 in the match against Rajasthan Royals was very impressive and he was one middle-order batsman the team was banking on to continue with the effort. "Today, he played very well and made all the difference," Sehwag said, only to be seconded by his counterpart Yuvraj Singh.
IPL 2011 - News
On Sunday, against Warriors and a sturdy target set by them, the Daredevils found their man in Prior.The batsman walked in when the match was still on the edge for either side and took 20-balls to score 31, inclusive of a four and three sixes that made the difference towards the end. The 29-year-old may not seem the most showy willow wielder in business and surely not the kind who you would see pumping fists from giant-sized posters. On the contrary, he's as shy as they come, preferring secrecy in a world where cricketers simply despise the word.
Says Sehwag, "We knew what he had done in the first three seasons of IPL. He was one of the most dependable scorers and that is why we went ahead and bought him this time."Daredevils bought Rao for no less than $700,000 in the auction this year."They showed huge trust in me and I'm thankful. Now, all I have to do is perform to the best of my ability," Rao had said back then.
On Sunday, it was only the beginning and it was a job well begun. In fact, as Sehwag points out, Rao's 40-ball 60 in the match against Rajasthan Royals was very impressive and he was one middle-order batsman the team was banking on to continue with the effort. "Today, he played very well and made all the difference," Sehwag said, only to be seconded by his counterpart Yuvraj Singh.
IPL 2011 - News
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