IPL 2021: "Such teams will always struggle" - Virender Sehwag alleges 'stat padding' by SRH batsmen

Virender Sehwag made a no-holds-barred attack on some of the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen after the team lost to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. The former India opener claimed some of the batsmen were 'stat padding' and criticized them for consuming deliveries and slowing down the run rate.

'Stat padding' is a term used to define an action that improves the statistics of a player without benefiting his/her team. Although Virender Sehwag didn't name anybody, the barb seemed to be aimed at Manish Pandey who played a gritty knock of 61* (44) but failed to take his team over the line.

Taking to Twitter after the game, Virender Sehwag also claimed that similar stat padding took place in the last IPL.

"Teams that will have stat padding batsmen end up batting long overs without changing gears quickly will struggle. Depriving hitters and finishers by leaving very less balls and making it very difficult. Happened last year, and such teams will struggle always," said Virender Sehwag.

Chasing 188 on a sticky Chennai wicket, SRH lost both their openers early. Manish Pandey and Jonny Bairstow revived the innings with a 92-run partnership, but the match slipped out of their hands after the latter's dismissal.

The lower order comprising Vijay Shankar and Mohammad Nabi misfired in the death overs, while Manish Pandey, who was well-set by that time, failed to hit even a single boundary in the last 6 overs.

Teams that will have stat padding batsmen end up batting long overs without changing gears quickly will struggle. Depriving hitters and finishers by leaving very less balls and making it very difficult. Happened last year, and such teams will struggle always #IPL

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 11, 2021

SRH needed 38 off the last two overs, but Pandey's partner Abdul Samad hogged the strike for 8 deliveries, scoring 19 off them. Manish Pandey hit a six off the last ball but it was too little too late as SRH fell short by 10 runs.

Match would have finished with 1-2 balls to spare if Manish Pandey had taken the initiative: Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag

Speaking to Cricbuzz on the subject, Virender Sehwag argued that Manish Pandey let go of the initiative after getting his eyes in which titled the game in KKR's favor. However, he also admitted that the opposition bowlers didn't give Pandey enough balls in his hitting range, keeping him quiet in the slog overs.

"It was an important role at that time for Pandey. He was set and had absorbed all the pressure. If he had taken the initiative to hit the boundaries then SRH wouldn't have fell short by those 10 runs and the match would have finished with 1-2 balls to spare. However, sometimes, even when you are set you don't get the balls to hit. Pandey too either got yorkers or outside-off stumps deliveries which didn't fall in his radar and that played a role as well," said Virender Sehwag.

Manish Pandey will get a chance to redeem himself on April 14 when SRH take on Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai.

I think @SunRisers wanted a bit more from Manish Pandey. He had to play the lead role and provide the finish. And, I have no doubt they will play Samad a bit higher. Give him 25-30 balls and he could change games

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 11, 2021