IPL 2018: Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody wants players to play naturally

Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody on Sunday stated that while the team will feel the absence of David Warner in the side, he doesn’t expect anyone to step up and fill in the Australian’s shoes during the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League.

The franchise has called on England’s Alex Hales as a replacement for the southpaw and it won’t be a surprise if the 29-year-old finally earns his IPL debut, here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, against Rajasthan Royals on Monday.

The explosive batsman was the first to hit the nets from the Orange camp and batted alongside skipper Kane Williamson for nearly 40 minutes, beating the pulp out of the net bowlers. Both Williamson and Hales faced bowlers and had a few throw downs from either ends but dispatched them with brute power.

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“No one’s expected to go out there and replace Warner. I want them to go and express themselves for who they are,” Moody said while addressing reporters at the stadium. “I don’t want Shikhar to go out there and play like Warner. I want Shikhar to play like Shikhar Dhawan because to me, he’s playing world class for us.”

Dhawan and Warner had formed a lethal opening duo for Sunrisers last season. This year, though, with a right-left combination of either Williamson or Hales alongside Dhawan almost on the cards, it can prove to be an equally destructive one.

Asked if the team had been gelling well under their makeshift captain, Moody stated: “Kane’s obviously been involved with the franchise for a few years so… A lot of the core players who we have retained know him very well personally and Kane’s a welcoming type of a character. He’s easy to get along with. The new players who’ve come in have got a huge amount of respect for him as an international captain and player. It’s a very easy transition.”

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He also showered praise on Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan, stating that the way the former has grown in stature over the past couple of years has been extremely impressive.

“It’s been a privilege as a coach to see someone (Kumar) develop like that and improve to be our leading new ball and leading death bowler. Also, he’s regarded as one of the best in the business not only here in India but globally.”