IPL 2021: Ashwin hails Hetmyer as "Hero", says his efforts being recognized in DC dressing room

R Ashwin is happy with his performance in the ongoing IPL 14.

Delhi Capitals (DC) off-spinner R Ashwin heaped rich praise on his teammate Shimron Hetmyer after the swash-buckling West Indian finished the game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) on Monday (October 4).

Hetmyer powered Delhi Capitals (DC) to a three-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with an unbeaten knock of 28 runs off 8 balls in Dubai. With the win over CSK, DC has displaced Chennai from the top spot and became the leading team in the IPL 14 points table with 20 points on Monday.

Praising the left-hander, who scored 159 runs so far this season, Ashwin said Hetmyer has done a good job for DC in the ongoing IPL 2021 and his efforts are recognized in the dressing room while hailing him as a “hero” for the side for his efforts at the lower order.

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Ashwin said at the virtual post-match press conference: “I think more than about 6-8 points needs to go to Hety, because he has finished games, sometimes when you make those 25s and 30s, you don't quite get the recognition you must, because people are at the top are making the volume of runs.”

The senior cricketer added, “So Hetymer is one of those heroes for us, and inside that dressing room, we recognize all these efforts, so yeah, he is in a good space.”

On his own batting in the second leg of the IPL 14 in the UAE, Ashwin said: “I have been batting well and there was a lot of confidence from what happened in the last game, I was a little late, I was probably not ready for the ball and little late on the ball and didn't expect sort of a delivery from him and could have done better, yeah I will learn and move on from it.”

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The off-spinner was also satisfied and happy with his bowling performance for DC in the ongoing IPL despite taking 5 wickets from 10 games this season.

He added, “There are 24 deliveries that I am allowed to bowl in a game and sometimes I kept on repeating this again and again, to look to go for wickets is not something that you can do in a T20 game, you have to play (to) the situation of the game, my job is to bowl to the best of my abilities in those 24 balls and create wicket-taking opportunities.”

Ashwin signed off by saying, “So sometimes, I feel it is too lopsided in trying, you can't put a short-leg, slip, you can't look to attack and try and get a wicket, so I think the way the ball is coming out and the way I am bowling, I am extremely satisfied and happy.”

(With PTI Inputs)