IPL 2023: Abdul Samad reminds me of a young Yusuf Pathan: Tom Moody lauds SRH batter after thrilling win over RR

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody has hailed Abdul Samad after he played a pivotal knock of 7-ball 17 to help his team win the thrilling contest against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur by four wickets.

Samad was dismissed on what was supposed to be the final ball of the innings by Sandeep Sharma when five runs were required for the win. However, Sharma had overstepped and Samad smashed a six on the re-take ball to get his team over the line. The right-hander from Kashmir scored two sixes in his little cameo and got the job done in the end for the Orange Army.

Moody likened Abdul Samad with Yusuf Pathan, who had earlier played for teams like Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

“What Abdul Samad has got as a young, emerging player is a rare ability to hit the ball out of the ground. He reminds me of a young Yusuf Pathan. He’s got that strength, power, and it’s a very hard role to play,” Moody said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.

Samad hasn’t been able to grab his chances on all occasions as he has scored only 354 runs at an average of 18.63 and a strike rate of 136.68 in 21 IPL matches. Moody added that the management needs to back Samad for the upcoming matches and keep giving him confidence.

“I hope that it gives the management and the franchise confidence that they have got the right person because that is the hardest part. Forget about the player having confidence, you need the organisation – wherever you are – to have confidence in you, and I think if you look at his erratic selection over the last two years, I think that hopefully, this is the turning point for him,” he added

Samad has definitely impressed with his pyrotechnics but he needs to be more consistent for the Orange Army. The 21-year-old from the Valley has tons of talent but he needs to deliver on the big stage. Sunday night was just a small proof that he can hold his nerves in the crunch situations of the match.

SRH will next face Lucknow Super Giants at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Saturday.