Sunrisers Hyderabad have been one of the most consistent sides off late, having qualified for the playoffs for five consecutive seasons, starting from 2015. The 2018 runner-ups, however, faltered a bit last season when the openers Warner and Bairstow left for national duties and just about managed to stay in the top four.
The Hyderabad-based franchise is known for their strategic picks during the auction, where more often than not they prove to be the smartest buyers. The story was no different this time. The think-tank comprising of the composed heads of VVS Laxman, Tom Moody and Muttiah Muralitharan targetted only a few players who would fit into the slots they required to fill. They were clear with their strategy and once again proved to be smarter than some other teams. As we gear up for the thirteenth edition of the IPL, here we take a detailed look at the squad of SRH:
Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad:
Kane Williamson, David Warner, Manish Pandey, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Billy Stanlake, T Natarajan, Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mitchell Marsh, Fabian Allen, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sanjay Yadav, Jonny Bairstow, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Bavanaka Sandeep, Basil Thampi
Strength:
Warner and Bairstow were nearly unstoppable as openers last season. With two of the best openers in limited overs cricket at the moment batting together, and one among Kane Williamson or the experienced Manish Pandey coming at three, Sunrisers Hyderabad have one of the strongest top order along all teams.
The batting order looks more settled as compared to last year, with Mitch Marsh being ghet much needed addition for rhe finishing role. Batting becomes the strongest point for SRH. The likes of Fabian Allen can be used as X-factor players, just like Cutting in the 2016 final.
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Weakness:
Despite no glaring weakness on paper, SRH should be concerned over the form and fitness of their pacers. Bhuvneshwar has not had much match practice and might not be available for a number of games due to injury. Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed and Siddharth Kaul were taken to cleaners easily last year. All four have the ability to bounce back like they have done in the past, but their lack of wicket taking form is a cause of concern. The overseas pace option Billy Stanlake has not been amongst wickets either.
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Lack of reserves in spin department is another worry. In case of an injury to someone like Rashid, SRH do not have the quality to fill his shoes. Also Indian backups for the lower middle order is still a concern. They have Marsh, Allen and Nabi, but will find it very tough fit any two together in the XI.
Key Players:
David Warner – Former skipper David Warner, who led SRH to their only title in 2016, continues to be the most valuable player for his side. Warner’s form in the IPL since 2015 has been one of the major factor why SRH have been so consistent. Having scored more than 500 runs every single season since 2015 (barring 2018 when he was suspended), Warner has been one of the finest overseas players in the IPL. With a huge burden of expectations like every season, Warner yet again will be the most important player for SRH.
Rashid Khan – One of the most sought after T20 bowlers in the world at the moment, Rashid Khan has carried the burden of SRH’s spin department since the last two years. The Afghan wrist spinner has been constantly amongst wickets, or has maintained pressure at one end which has helped others to pick wickets. Rashid played a key role in SRH reaching the finals in 2018. His importance can be gauged from the success rate of SRH whenever Rashid has done well and vice versa. Will SRH be able to defend low totals that they are known for depends highly on how Rashid Khan performs on the given day. SRH would also look to use more of Rashid’s batting, which has so far been quite underutilized in the IPL.
Mitchell Marsh – SRH have probably found the missing cog in the wheel for the last couple of years, the finisher, in Mitchell Marsh. The Australian all-rounder was in terrific form in the recently concluded BBL and has earned a national call-up. His batting is ideally suited for the middle order and lower middle order, a position which has cost SRH many crunch games in the past. Heavily dependent on their top order, SRH will now have someone reliable in the middle order. Moreover, Marsh is a more than decent bowler with a knack of picking crucial wickets, giving an option to the skipper to cover up if any strike bowler has an off-day. SRH’s fate will depend to a large extent on Mitch Marsh, especially in crunch games and tight situations.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad Probable Playing XI:
David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Mitchell Marsh, Priyam Garg/ Virat Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed