"We saw his inswing after a long time" - Sanjay Manjrekar feels SRH pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is finding his rhythm in IPL 2022

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar reckons that senior Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is gradually rediscovering his rhythm and swing, which augurs well for the franchise in IPL 2022. According to Manjrekar, an in-form Bhuvneshwar adds extra zing to the strong SRH pace attack.

The 32-year-old pacer claimed 1 for 37 in his four overs against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He looked incisive at the start of the innings, though he could not pick up a wicket in his first spell.

Hyderabad will now take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. Previewing the clash, Manjrekar gave Hyderabad the upper hand due to their fast-bowling resources. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, he said:

“SRH’s pace bowling is looking strong. In the last match, it was very good to see Bhuvneshwar Kumar as he was swinging the ball. We saw his inswing after a long time. He was trying to get Aaron Finch out leg before. Marco Jansen is a rising international star and not just at the IPL level. Umran Malik may be a bit expensive at times, but keep giving him chances. They need some help in the spin department though.”

The former India batter was particularly pleased with T Natarajan’s return to form. Sharing his views on the left-arm seamer, he stated:

“When Natarajan gets his yorker right, it means he is back to full fitness. He is getting the ball to seam and trouble the batters. He dismissed Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine in the last game. He keeps the ball up and is no longer a death-overs wicket-taker. He is taking wickets at the start as well. Mayank Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan might be able to survive, but Jonny Bairstow will need to be careful against him, if he comes in early.”

The 31-year-old SRH pacer has claimed 11 wickets in five IPL 2022 matches at an average of 15.45 and an economy rate of 8.50.

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“In the last two years, Tripathi has lifted his game to a different level” - Manjrekar on in-form SRH batter

Rahul Tripathi was the Player of the Match in Hyderabad’s seven-wicket triumph over KKR. He smacked 71 in 37 balls to pave the way for an easy win.

According to Manjrekar, Tripathi has always had the talent but has improved his batting significantly over the last two seasons. He elaborated on the aggressive right-handed batter:

“In the last two years, Rahul Tripathi has lifted his game to a different level. Before that, he played a few important knocks for KKR, coming down the order. But, he was not so consistent even though he was making some vital contributions. Over the last couple of years, the quality of his batsmanship has improved significantly.”

31-year-old Tripathi has smashed 171 runs in five IPL 2022 matches at an average of 57 and a strike rate of 178.13.