Being a finisher is both a blessing and a curse: Shimron Hetmyer

Shimron Hetmyer had a quiet IPL 2024 after the top order of Rajasthan Royals did most of the heavy lifting for them. But against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur, the Royals needed Hetmyer to be at his best and see them through in a tricky chase. 

Rajasthan had done well with the ball to restrict Punjab to 147/8 on a double-paced pitch. While chasing, RR were playing without Jos Buttler and Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy-winning allrounder Tanush Kotian was opening the innings, but struggled with scoring quickly. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 39 off 28 deliveries, but his innings never got the momentum it needed to become a match-winning one. 

With Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag also getting starts but not converting them, the responsibility to finish the game fell on the shoulders of Hetmyer and Rovman Powell, and they did a spectacular job finishing the game with RR needing 43 runs in the last four overs. Hetmyer ended with 27 runs in just 10 deliveries with three sixes and a boundary and took the pink team home. 

“It is just practice really,” Hetmyer told Harsha Bhogle after the game. “I try as much as possible to bat properly in the nets first. Then I go back after everyone has finished to try and hit sixes.”

“It is [both] a blessing and curse,” Hetmyer said about the art of finishing. “Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. Happy that I could help my team win tonight.”

Rovman Powell was Hetmyer’s batting partner, and he helped him calm down by chatting with him as they know each other quite well. 

“The good thing is we know each other. We are calm. All we needed to do was hit proper cricketing shots and play along the ground. We are West Indians, we hit boundaries,” Powell said. 

“In the previous games, the lower and middle order have not battled a lot of balls, and I told Hettie that there might be a day soon when they will have that opportunity. When I went out to bat, he just reminded me of that.” 

Rajasthan’s skipper also remarked on the close nature of the game and found the fact that these close games for them happen with Punjab Kings often quite funny. 

“We all were a bit tense during the chase. Games against Punjab in the last few overs, I don’t what it is, they are always close. It’s funny. It was a very funny game (smiles).”

“Last game, we did some really good things but ended up losing. Tonight, we made more mistakes and won. Cricket is a funny game, so you have to put your head down and just focus on the process,” Samson said. 

Rajasthan Royals play their next game against KKR on April 16.