Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel heaped praise on Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza for his brilliant batting display against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday. The 36-year-old played well-composed innings to help his team register their 3rd win in the league stage.
Raza made his debut in IPL 2023 and scored his first half-century in the cash-rich league on a pitch that was difficult to bat on in the middle overs. Speaking to the Jiocinema, about his knock, Parthiv Patel lauded Raza for taking responsibility in the chase in absence of their regular skipper Shikhar Dhawan.
“You need experienced batters in run-chases. And since Shikhar Dhawan wasn’t playing, you needed such a batter, who takes the game forward and knows when to get that big over. When he felt that he could go for the big shots in Krunal Pandya’s over, he went for it. He took the singles and whenever he got the chance, he went for the big shots,” Parthiv Patel said.
Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza changed the momentum of the match by taking Krunal Pandya to the cleaners and with the ball, he took the important wicket of Deepak Hooda in the 9th over. Raza could not finish the game for his team as he perished in the 18th over on the bowling of Ravi Bishnoi.
With 20 runs to chase in the final two overs, Punjab Kings’ finisher Shahrukh Khan struck a boundary and two sixes to ensure his team win the match with three balls to spare.
Sikandar Raza was rated highly as one of the best all-rounders in the world–and presently has been going through a purple patch in his career contributing with both bat and ball for any team he represents in the T20 leagues in particular.
Under Pressure, Sikandar Raza Played A Match-Winning Knock – Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel hailed Sikandar Raza for playing the match-winning knock against Lucknow Super Giants–and added that it was only a matter of time before he proves his worth on the big stage.
“The way he was performing at the international level over the last two years, it was just a matter of time before he performs at the big state. Under pressure, he played a match-winning knock,” Parthiv Patel added.
Raza was a steal in the auction for Punjab Kings as he was picked for a base price of Rs. 50 lakh, considering his skills and experience. In the T20Is, in 2022 Sikandar Raza slammed 735 runs at a strike rate of over 150, he bowled exceptionally well in this format. Besides, he took 25 wickets at a good economy rate of 6.13.