Dhawan, with 603 races, and Stoinis, with 352 races and 12 terrains, have been the two best for the capitals. They played a major role in the team’s 17-run victory in Qualifier-2 against Hyderabad sunrises on Sunday.
“Shikhar has been incredible and has won hundreds. Even in the games he has missed, he has timed the ball well. He has really paved the way for us this year,” Stoinis said at the post-game press conference.
Stoinis himself has benefited from Dhawan’s immense knowledge to adapt to various situations.
“He (Dhawan) is a leader within the team. He brings a lot of energy and shares a lot of knowledge. He has really been good to me this season. I am really proud of him.
“He has done more than 600 runs this year. Hopefully he has a big shot left in the final,” said Stoinis, who scored 38 on attack when opening innings for the first time on Sunday.
Stoinis previously started in the Big Bash League, but in the IPL, this was his first attempt after Prithvi Shaw’s repeated failure to reach double digits.
“Ricky (Ponting) had talked to me a couple of times about the possibilities of opening the hitting. It just worked and we thought this was the game to do it. In one of the games, I hit No. 3 and it didn’t come out because we were chasing 220. “he recalled.
He also had a field day with the ball by taking out Manish Pandey and the dangerous Kane williamson at the right time on his 3 of 26 spell in four overs.
“Bowling in this format is always difficult and it’s more about planning and having a good idea before you hit the ground.”
For Stoinis, the basic idea of T20 bowling, rather than taking wickets, is containment.
“Just be clear that in T20, you are not always trying to take terrain, but controlling the speed of execution and controlling the game creates some pressure.”
When asked about the grand final against the Mumbai Indians, Stoinis stressed that there will not be too many tweaks with the game plan as such.
“The preparations will be the same as usual. When the big games approach, the most important thing is that you stick to your usual strategies and routines, MI is a great team and they have been consistent throughout the season, they beat us three times” .
“We will just put out our best cricket game and play the best we can. I think it will be good enough,” Stoinis said.
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