IPL 2022 | I try to take wickets in middle overs and put pressure on opposition, says Wanindu Hasaranga

Royal Challengers Bangalore registered a 67-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. Wanindu Hasaranga who was bought by the franchise for a whopping amount of Rs 10.75 Crore played a key role in the win. He returned with figures of 5/18 while defending a target of 193. Reflecting on his impressive spell while defending the target, Hasaranga said that his role for the team is to take wickets in middle overs. 

“I try to take wickets in middle overs and put pressure on the opposition. I'm a wicket-taking bowler and the team also thinks like that. I try to bowl a lot of dot balls and try to get wickets. That's my role in the team," Hasaranga said in the post-match presentation.

"This year, four players from Sri Lanka are doing really well, especially Maheesh Theekshana (Chennai), Dushmantha Chameera (Lucknow) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Punjab). For us our three main bowlers playing in this IPL, that's good experience for us when we go back to Sri Lanka.”

RCB batters smashed Umran Malik for 25 runs in two overs. Hasaranga said that the plan was to go after Malik up front and put early pressure on him. 

"He (Umran Malik) bowled fast, a lot of back of the length deliveries. On this wicket, there was not much bounce, it was good to bat, so that's why our batters took on him in the first over. He got under pressure after we scored 20 runs against him. That was the plan we had against him," he concluded.