FORECAST SUNNY
SRH among top-4 likely contenders for play-off spot
New Delhi, Sept. 15: Armed with a lethal toporder and a solid spin attack, Sunrisers Hyderabad as usual are an epitome of a balanced
T20 side which will again be among the top four likely contenders for a play-off spot in this year’s Indian Premier League.
Not exactly as high-profile as Mumbai Indians or a Chennai Super Kings, the low-key presence armed with a solid core coaching group comprising Trevor Bayliss (KKR’s IPL winning former coach), V.V.S. Laxman and Muttiah Muralitharan, which has done remarkably well to identify their core strengths.
Best part is all three have been in dug-outs of successful IPL outfits and have that been there and done that aura about them.
In David Warner, who is back as captain for this season, the franchise has an inspirational leader and a superb batsman, who would like to lead from the front.
The southpaw led Sunrisers to a title triumph in 2016 and has made the tournament his own, winning the ‘Orange Cap’ thrice.
Last season, alongside Jonny Bairstow, Warner shattered multiple records including the highest opening partnership in IPL history. The duo single-handedly led Sunrisers to the knockout stage.
The Australian was the leading run-getter, amassing 692 runs in 12 matches, with eight halfcenturies and a ton. While Bairstow scored
445 runs in 10 games, notching up two fifties and a century.
This year again, the pair will be expected to do the heavy lifting with the bat, while senior India pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and the Afghanistan T20 captain Rashid Khan will be manning the bowling resources. Siddarth Kaul and Shahbaz Nadeem are potent Indian bowling options while Billy Stanlake can crank it up considerably.
Sunrisers’ blind spot in the lack of depth in their batting order. The team will rely on Manish Pandey and Kane Wiliamson to provide direction provided Warner and Bairstow fail to click as a pair.