IPL 2018 Team Analysis: SunRisers Hyderabad – Strengths and Weakness; Squad and Playing 11

Taking over Deccan Chargers in 2012, SunRisers Hyderabad made its IPL appearance in the 2013 edition. Led by Sri Lankan veteran wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara and Cameron White in the first season, SRH ended up 4th. Later, in IPL edition 2016, SRH tasted the IPL final victory and went on to be crowned as “IPL Champions 2016” under David Warner’s captaincy.

Starting as the defending champion in 2017, SRH went on till playoffs and got knocked out in the eliminator by KKR. However, the skipper David Warner (641) grabbed the Orange Cap for scoring most runs and Buvaneshwar Kumar (26) grabbed the Purple Cap for most wickets.

Facing a big blow just ahead of the tournament, SRH has appointed a new captain in the name of Kane Williamson in their 6th outing.

Owner- Sun TV Network

Skipper- Kane Williamson

Head Coach- Tom Moody

Home Ground- Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium

IPL Champions- 2016

Now, let’s take a tour of SRH-

Strength:

In a format which is a heaven for batsmen, SRH has its own way of making it hell for them through its “IPL Specialist Bowler” in the name of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. Bhuvaneshwar has been the leading wicket-taker bowler for the team since last 4 outings. Apart from Bhuvi, SRH also features leg-spin sensation Rashid Khan who has already created havoc in the cricketing world with spin prowess.

A solid middle-order is another strength of SRH in the likes of Kane Williamson, Deepak Hooda, and Manish Pandey. These three can guide the team to a good total if they get a decent start. And to give them the kind of start, SRH has retained the Gabbar – Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan scored 479 runs in 14 matches with an average of 36.84 in the last edition of IPL.

SRH also boasts the best of the all-rounder in its troop. Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Nabi, and Carlos Braithwaite can change the course of the game at any point in their day.

Weakness:

SRH faced a big blow when David Warner was barred from IPL’s Best vs Best edition. David Warner, who is currently facing the lengthy ban from cricket in the ball tampering scandal, was the soul of SRH. Apart from just being the face of the team, Warner was also the top run-scorer for SRH as well as IPL.

With Warner’s absence, the biggest problem which SRH faces is a perfect opening combo. Warner-Dhawan were the best opening partners for the team. SRH will now have to pick someone as destructive as Warner and the one who could easily pair up with Shikhar Dhawan.

The lack of an experienced finisher, in the end, is also a headache for SRH. Guiding the team to victory while keeping track with your nerves is not a child’s play. And, SRH certainly misses a specialist who can lead the team to victory in such situations.

Probable Playing 11:

Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Wriddhiman Saha, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, M Nabi/Carlos Braithwaite/Chris Jordan,  Basil Thampi/Bipul Sharma

Squad:

Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Nabi, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Shreevats Goswami, Shikhar Dhawan, Basil Thampi, Wriddhiman Saha, Tanmay Agarwal, Carlos Braithwaite, Ricky Bhui, Khaleel Ahmed, Bipul Sharma, T Natarajan, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Mehdi Hasan, Siddharth Kaul, Chris Jordan, Rashid Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Sandeep Sharma, Billy Stanlake, Sachin Baby

SRH’s Performance over the years:

Betting ODDS:

In terms of winning the IPL’s Best vs Best edition, SRH is the third favorite after Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.   

Top run getters-

1. S Dhawan
2. K Williamson

Top wicket takers-

1. B Kumar
2. R Khan

*Source- Oddschecker

Moreover, it will be interesting to watch if SRH can cope up with the absence of David Warner or will choke in his absence. Will the management be able to provide a perfect replacement for Warner as an opener? Will Williamson’s captaincy remind us of Warner’s absence?