Kolkata, April 2 Nitish Kumar Reddy, who played a key role in Sunrisers Hyderabad's 65-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, said he had been waiting for such a performance for a long time, as his all-round performance helped his team register their first win of the IPL season here on Thursday.
Heinrich Klaasen (52) and Reddy (39) provided the late boost as SRH posted a challenging total of 226 for 8. Reddy (2/17) also contributed with the ball, as KKR were bowled out for 161 in 16 overs.
"This was the match-winning performance I had been waiting for. Thankfully, it came at the right time, and even my bowling has given me confidence. I'm just trying to stay positive," Nitish said at the post-match presentation.
"I had been having too many negative thoughts because the previous season didn't go my way, and I couldn't bowl in that season.
"I have worked really hard on my bowling, and it's paying off, which makes me feel happy. I'm grateful to the trainers and physiotherapists, as my body is now fully fit."
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Ishan Kishan praised the team effort but said fielding remains an area of concern.
"I'm not happy with my own performance, but I'm really happy with the team's commitment. Everyone was putting in the effort I asked for. I don't think the pitch was that good, honestly.
"Head and Abhishek played a beautiful innings. The powerplay made the game easy for us, as every batsman got time to take singles and get a feel of the pitch. Great effort from them and Klaassy at the end. It was a team effort.
"We all know that Finn is dangerous, but Harsh just bowled that ball, and we were lucky to get that wicket."
Regarding Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar, Kishan said: "Harsh has been doing well for his domestic team, and he's been able to handle pressure situations.
"I'd like to talk about Shivang. Coming here, on a small ground. But his hard work paid off. He was in touch with all the coaches and trying to understand what works. You saw him bowl with great determination against someone like Rinku."
On areas for improvement, Kishan said: "I think we're learning about these areas with each game. Fielding is one area. We can't give 20 runs in extras. We'll work on it as a team."
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said his team failed to build partnerships and hinted at a possible change in combination.
"Yes, I thought we needed a couple of big partnerships. The batsmen who were set needed to take it deep. With the ball, I thought we bowled really well. In batting, when you're chasing a target, you need that partnership, but we didn't get it. In the second innings, I felt the ball was slightly stopping. The slower balls were gripping more than in the first innings," he said.
"We thought the wicket would get better, but it got slower. But I'm not making excuses. SRH used the slower balls and the angles really well.
"Winning home games is really important, so we need to go back to the drawing room and think about our combination, if we need an extra batter. But we don't need to overthink it. Just one bad day."