Bengaluru: Hard-hitting West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer played a brilliant innings to help the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) end their IPL 2019 campaign on a winning note as they defeated the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their last group stage game of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chasing 176 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday, RCB rode on a crucial 144-run partnership between Hetmyer (75 off 47) and Gurkeerat Mann (65 off 48) as they won by four wickets and kept the Orange Army's dream of advancing to the playoffs uncertain.
After the match, Hetmyer admitted it was a tough season for him as he found it difficult to get used to the environment in the IPL.
"This time was a little bit tough for me. Getting used to the environment, getting used to the IPL was tough for me, said the West Indian in the post-match presentation.
The 22-year-old played just five matches in this IPL edition and scored 90 runs.
He further said that he learnt a lot from skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers during the course of the tournament.
"I just had a word with the team management and they said have some fun. I just tried to clear my mind as much as possible and wanted to execute my plans. The experience of IPL has been fantastic. I have learned a lot from Virat and ABD and even the coaches," he said.
Mann, who shared the crucial fourth-wicket partnership with Hetmyer, said he didn't try to d anything silly while batting with the West Indian.
"When I went in to bat, we were in a good position and had a lot of overs to spare. I was just looking to build a partnership with Hetty (Hetmyer).
"When you have someone like him (Hetmyer), you don't have to do anything silly. I just tried to get my common sense on. We are really happy that we ended on a good note. The crowd has been amazing for us and we want to thank them even though things haven't gone our way. (This innings) means a lot because I haven't been on the field for nearly two years. I just wanted to make my presence felt," he added.
RCB finished their campaign with 11 points, which included five wins and a no-result, in this IPL edition.