The previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was one of the toughest seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as they finished bottom in the league phase. Moreover, the Hyderabad-based franchise was all over the news for their internal conflicts with David Warner as their trophy-clinching leader was first stripped of the captaincy and then dropped from the squad.
The Sunrisers have relied on the likes of Warner and Rashid Khan for a lot of their success. However, with both of them no longer a part of the franchise, it would be a new era beginning with some new faces. It was an excellent auction for the Hyderabad based franchise, but they have assembled enough players to present their case for the IPL trophy.
Strongest Playing XI:
Abhishek Sharma, Kane Williamson(C), Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Romario Shepherd, Washington Sundar, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik.
Flaws
Prior to the auction, it was inevitable that they would not go for Warner and that they had already missed out on Rashid Khan as Gujarat Titans, one of the two new franchises, had drafted him into their squad. Thus, they should have been prepared enough to replace both the stars of their team, but it seems like they have failed big time, and there is no player in their lineup that can fill those two big boots.
While SRH might look like a much better-balanced unit this time around on paper, they don't really have an experienced Indian capped player apart from Bhuvi. Therefore, the reliance is again on the overseas players and skipper Kane Williamson. The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad and Umran Malik are huge prospects, but they are not proven performers in the marquee T20 league, which can backfire on SRH as they have invested a good amount in these players.
X-Factor
The duo of T Natarajan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has done it for SRH in the past and the franchise will count on these two once again. How Bhuvi bowled against the West Indies in the recent T20I series suggests that he still can offer a lot to the 'Orange Army'. Natarajan has been struggling with a few niggles now and then, but a fully fit Natarajan is an asset. The left-arm medium-pacer can hit those yorkers at will, and his partnership with Bhuvi makes them a pair to fear as they complement each other in the best possible way. The fortunes of SRH will depend on the duo, and their fans would be hoping that the two play majority of the season without any injury concern.
Analysis
While the balance of the team looks decent, the fact that there are a lot of inexperienced players in the team suggests that this might not be their season. The overseas players that SRH have roped in haven't done it in the cash-rich league, and their pace bowling attack has a few injury concerns. We can see them finish at 4th in Group B with all that in mind.