Making hay while the sun shines - Key players for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad surprised everyone in their inaugural season by some exceptional bowling performances

Authored by Ajay Suresh for ‘The Wicket Post’

Nobody would’ve thought that the Sunrisers Hyderabad would deliver such performances as a debut franchise in IPL 6. Nobody was warned of the storm-like bowling attack they possessed which ripped apart many teams while chasing low totals last season.

Rather unfortunately, the intention they showed while bowling was nowhere close to what they showed as a batting unit. The Sunrisers Hyderabad have risen from the lights of defeat many times with their power packed bowling attack spearheaded by the world class Dale Steyn. Although this is a new beginning for a new squad, SRH’s core team remains the same.

The aspect which was under the scanner last year was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting. Their batting consistently failed last season and they needed their bowlers to bail them out in various occasions. Their batting concerns remained at the end of last season as the Sunrisers Hyderabad failed to qualify for the final.

Putting the previous year behind, the Sunrisers management marched into the IPL Auctions this year and made sure that their batting wasn’t going to affect them this season. With big buys of David Warner, Aaron Finch, Moises Henriques and Anirudh Srikkanth, the Sunrisers Hyderabad have balanced their squad in a near perfect way. They also managed to buy back a couple of players from their previous squad to maintain the team structure which had done so well last year.

As Sunrisers Hyderabad look potentially threatening this season, they would be hoping that their strength on paper reflects on the field. Their strong bowling line up has also been bolstered with a couple of good buys like Bhuvneshwar Kumar who can swing the ball at the top.

There’s a saying that a captain is only as good as his team. The strength behind the Sunrisers Hyderabad will prove to have a positive impact on Shikhar Dhawan’s captaincy as he awaits the test with eagerness. He has proved to be a brilliant captain for SRH in a couple of matches last season, but can he handle the pressure of a lead batsman along with captaincy?

This season will definitely be a test of quality for the Sunrisers Hyderabad as all the teams look equally strong due to the re-distribution of players in the IPL Auctions this year. Whether they will capitalize on their newly acquired batting strength still remains a question. The Wicket Post wishes Sunrisers Hyderabad the best of luck to put on a competitive performance this IPL.

Key Players

Opening Combination: SRH has a couple of good openers in their squad. It will be up to them to make sure that they select the best combination to succeed at the top. David Warner, Aaron Finch and Shikhar Dhawan are all aggressive openers and possibly, if Aaron Finch and Dhawan open the innings, we can expect some fireworks at the top.

Dale Steyn was at the top of things for SRH in IPL 6

Dale Steyn: Of fast bowlers, the most dangerous one in the world is undoubtedly Dale Steyn. Steyn can rattle batting orders single handedly. He won a game for South Africa when the opposition needed only 7 runs off the last over. Undoubtedly, if Dale Steyn can extract the pace and swing off the pitches in UAE, Sunrisers can run through their opponents easily.

Darren Sammy: Being one of the best finishers in SRH, Darren Sammy can turn games around with massive blows. His ability to strike the ball with immense power can ensure good finishes for SRH even from a weak position. He also keeps things tight with his bowling and can be a handful for other teams to handle.

Amit Mishra: With his ability to extract turn from almost any pitch, Amit Mishra will play the lead spinner’s role for SRH. All his variations and ability to turn the ball will have to come into play if he wants to win games for his team. But can he handle the pressure of the lead spinner? We’ll have to wait and watch.