Sairaj Bahutule

Sayantan Bhattacharjee ∙ 15 Oct 2020

IPL 2020: Sairaj Bahutule laments lack of partnerships in Royals' chase

Rajasthan Royals erred in their chase against Delhi Capitals, resulting in yet another loss - their fifth of the season. In pursuit of 162, the side got off to a quick start and at one stage they brought the equation down to 39 needing off last five overs. However, indecisive running between the wicket and poor shot making bottled up their chances of grabbing two vital points. Royals’ spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule stated that the team frittered away from a dominating position by losing too many wickets in the chase. He said that the lack of partnerships led to the defeat. "I think partnerships were very important. I don't think we needed to lose that many wickets after the start Buttler and Stokes gave us and especially that run out." The former India cricketer added that Ben Stokes’ wicket and Riyan Parag’s run-out derailed their chase and it hurt them bad. "I think the most important part was Stokes' wicket and I think the run out also was very crucial, which we probably could have avoided." The coach defended the move to send Stokes as an opener. He opined that both Steve Smith and the England all-rounder are fine players and hence they should bat at the top. According to him, a good start at the top will help the middle-order breathe easy. The Royals currently sit at the seventh spot with five defeats and three wins. They carry the same number of points as Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad but with an inferior net run-rate.