IPL 2020: Squad analysis of Sunrisers Hyderabad
In 2016, Australian opener David Warner led Sunrisers Hyderabad to a maiden Indian Premier League title. Ever since, the Hyderabad-based franchise has been renowned for the balance in their set-up. This time, the team will be strengthened with the return of regular skipper Warner. Let us analyze SRH's squad as the thirteenth edition of IPL is set to commence on September 19.
Players bought by SRH at the auction
Players bought by SRH (2020): Virat Singh (Rs. 1.9 crore), Priyam Garg (Rs. 1.9 crore), Mitchell Marsh (Rs. 2 crore), Fabian Allen (Rs. 50 lakh), Sandeep Bavanaka (Rs. 20 lakh), Abdul Samad (Rs. 20 lakh), Sanjay Yadav (Rs. 20 lakh). Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who helped Australia beat England in the third T20I, could be the difference for SRH this time.
Warner, Bairstow to bolster the batting line-up
The Sunrisers Hyderabad boasts a formidable opening pair in the form of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow. The duo went on to break plenty of records last season. While the experience of Kane Williamson will also be handy at the top, the likes of Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey are set to brace the middle order. Besides, SRH don't have much depth in their batting.
A decent pool of all-rounders
Mitchell Marsh could be another overseas player in the team, however, the experience of Mohammad Nabi can't be ignored. The Afghanistan all-rounder was in sublime touch during the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League. His compatriot Rashid Khan has also leveled up his batting credentials in recent times. Among Indians, Vijay Shankar will likely lead the pool of all-rounders along with the uncapped Abhishek Sharma.
One of the strongest bowling attacks in the IPL
The Sunrisers Hyderabad has one of the strongest bowling attacks among the eight franchises. The Indian seamers include Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Basil Thampi and Siddarth Kaul. Meanwhile, Australia's Billy Stanlake might also be in contention. Notwithstanding, Afghanistan's Rashid Khan holds the core of spin bowling, with the likes of Shahbaz Nadeem, Abdul Samad and Abhishek Sharma chipping in.
A look at the complete squad of SRH
Here's a look at the complete SRH squad: Kane Williamson, David Warner (C), 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.
A number of foreign stars might be benched regularly
Although the Sunrisers Hyderabad are studded with star-power, they might have to bench a few of them. In 2018, Williamson played a handful of matches due to abundance of foreign stars in the team. However, they could still be a dominant force. Probable XI for the first match: Bairstow, Warner (C), Williamson, Shankar, Pandey, Saha (WK), Abhishek, Rashid, Bhuvneshwar, Siddarth, Khaleel.
