Interview: Sunrisers Hyderabad's Moises Henriques talks about Bhuvneshwar Kumar and SRH's chances of winning IPL 2017

Moises Henriques has always been a quality all-rounder, having represented Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians in the past. However, Henriques has been at his impressive best for Sunrisers Hyderabad after joining the franchise in 2014.

The Australian played an integral part for Sunrisers Hyderabad last season, helping the team win their maiden title. The 30-year-old has contributed, more with the bat, in IPL 2017 so far, and wants to help his side win another title, but Henriques is aware of the other big teams in the fray like Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, who are serious contenders for the title.

In an interview with International Business Times, India, the SRH player spoke about Bhuvneshwar Kumar being the most underrated bowler in world, also Hyderabad being his second home after some wonderful seasons. 

Here are the excerpts of his interview with IBT India.

IBT India: Sunrisers Hyderabad have played good cricket in IPL 2017. How confident are you in defending the title?

Moises Henriqiues (MH): We are confident, but nothing is a given in this game. We still have to play well to reach the finals, and from there it gives up the opportunity to win. If we play well, we can do it, but we still have a lot of things to do as well.

IBT India: Which other teams do you consider as a serious contender?

Moises Henriqiues (MH): Two top teams of this season - Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. They have also shown in the past that they can win the title, and perform under those pressure games. So, obviously, Mumbai and Kolkata are strong contenders for the IPL 2017 title.

IBT India: The SRH home crowd has been fantastic. How much does it motivate the players?

Moises Henriqiues (MH): It is very nice at the home ground (Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium). It is combination of having both great support from the fans, and also knowing that when you take a wicket or hit a boundary, they are behind you, which is fantastic. When it comes to close situations, they are doing everything they can help us cross the finishing line. I am sure for a lot of players like myself, who has been with the team for some years, it is starting feel like second home in Hyderabad.

IBT India: Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been fantastic in IPL 2017. Is he an underrated bowler in world cricket?

Moises Henriqiues (MH): Yes, he is one of the most underrated bowlers in world cricket. It is not only about recent this year and last season alone, Bhuvi has been performing consistently in the last four or five years in the IPL. He is always in and around the purple cap, always performing, taking wickets regularly at a good economy rate. He also bowls the toughest overs for us (SRH), both during the Powerplay as well as the death.

To be honest, I am quite surprised that he has not played much ODI and T20 cricket for India. I think he is a fantastic bowler. Though there are other good bowlers in India, if we look at just the IPL stats, it would be difficult to find a better fast bowler stats than Bhuvi's.

IBT India: Sticking to Indian bowlers, Mohammed Siraj and Siddharth Kaul have been impressive.

Moises Henriqiues (MH): I think they are both good bowlers. Siddharth has been around for a while now, so he is a bit older, and Siraj is raw. They have had to bowl under pressure in IPL 2017 so far, and both of them have delivered too. They have contributed in SRH's victory. With more and more games, may be, who knows, we may be able to turn Siraj or Siddharth into a consistent performer like Bhuvneshwar.