IPL 2021: Holder's brilliant performance kept match competitive, says Kane Williamson

Sharjah [UAE], September 25 (ANI): SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Kane Williamson admitted that brilliant individual performance in both halves from Jason Holder keep the match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) competitive on Saturday.

PBKS held their nerve as they defeated SRH by five runs in a low-scoring Indian Premier League (IPL) thriller at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Ravi Bishnoi scalped three wickets while Mohammad Shami returned with two wickets for PBKS. For Hyderabad, Wriddhiman Saha and Jason Holder played innings of 31 and 47* respectively. Earlier, Holder also scalped three wickets and conceded just 19 runs in four overs to restrict PBKS to 125/7.

SRH captain Kane Williamson during the post-match presentation said: "The bowling unit, fielding unit did a fantastic job. Certainly, the surface was a tough one. Required partnerships and we were certainly backing ourselves to get close. It took a brilliant individual performance in both halves from Jason Holder, especially with the bat to keep the match competitive."

"It's (SRH) a proud franchise, frustrating season. We do need to look for areas to improve. We try to learn from the first half of the game. Punjab tried to come out attacking like it usually happens in T20s. But playing shots was challenging," the 31-year-old pointed.

"For us, it was about looking to build platforms. It was quite a challenge to pounce on them without losing wickets. The games come thick and fast. We need to come to the next game with fresh eyes and freedom. We will try and put in the best. Smart cricket needs to be played with different surfaces," he added.

SRH after this loss became the second team to lose eight of their first nine matches in an IPL season after KKR in 2009. (ANI)