"Whenever the ball is in his zone, he hits a six" - Harbhajan Singh lauds Shimron Hetmyer's match-winning knock for Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans

Harbhajan Singh has lauded Shimron Hetmyer for playing a match-winning knock for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their IPL 2023 clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Hardik Pandya and Co. set the Royals a 178-run target after being asked to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, April 16. Hetmyer then smoked an unbeaten 56 off just 26 balls to help the visiting team chase down the target with three wickets and four deliveries to spare to climb atop the IPL 2023 points table.

During a post-match discussion on Star Sports, Harbhajan was asked about his thoughts on Shimron Hetmyer's knock, to which he responded:

"This player is unbelievable. Hetymer is batting at a different level. Whenever the ball is in his zone, he hits a six, and when it is not in his zone, he takes singles and doubles."

The former Indian spinner praised the Rajasthan Royals' middle-order batter for playing a sensible knock, explaining:

"Buttler is doing the job at the top of the order and Hetymer is batting sensibly down the order. It is not that he is only hitting, he is batting properly and when you bat properly, these are the results you get."

Shimron Hetmyer joined Sanju Samson (60 off 32) in the middle when the Rajasthan Royals were in a spot of bother, with the score reading 55/4 in the 11th over. The duo added 59 runs in just 4.3 to alter the course of the game.

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"It was a calculated innings" - Harbhajan Singh on Shimron Hetmyer's knock

Shimron Hetmyer sealed the match with a six off Noor Ahmad's bowling. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Harbhajan Singh also praised Dhruv Jurel and Ravichandran Ashwin for making useful contributions in the Rajasthan Royals' chase, observing:

"It was a calculated innings. He knew that if he stayed till the end, they would find themselves in a better position for the chase. Dhruv Jurel's knock was very important and Ravichandran Ashwin's four and six were very important ones, and then the two or three shots that Hetmyer played in the end."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by pointing out that Shimron Hetmyer proved that the Royals are not overreliant on Jos Buttler in the batting department, stating:

"He hit Rashid Khan straight down the ground and then in the end, stayed back and hit. The ball was not that short, that is the West Indian power. No one else could have hit that. Credit to the entire Rajasthan team. They played fantastic cricket. Buttler didn't fire but don't forget that there is another guy down the order - Hetmyer."

Hetmyer struck two fours and five sixes during his innings. He hit a four and a six in the 18th over bowled by Rashid Khan when the Royals needed 36 runs off 18 balls. Jurel and Ashwin made his job easier by scoring 16 runs off the penultimate over bowled by Mohammad Shami before Hetmyer ended the game with a six in the final over.