IPL 2019: SRH's second 11 that's as strong as any IPL side

The 12th edition of the glamorous and cash-rich IPL is set to start on 23rd of March with CSK and RCB locking horns in the very first match of the league while the runners-up of last season, Sunrisers Hyderabad, will play their first match against KKR on March 24.

SRH has been one of the most consistent teams in the last few IPL seasons. Last three seasons have been quite good for the franchise as they won the IPL title in 2016, qualified for the playoffs in 2017 and were the runners up in 2018. The franchise will surely want to continue their momentum in IPL 2019 as well.

For the upcoming edition of the IPL, SRH has one of the strongest squads which makes them one of the favorites to lift the IPL trophy. The return of David Warner will make them even stronger. They are looking well sorted in all the departments. It will be very hard for the rest of the seven teams to stop SRH from winning the tournament this season.

Most of the teams have quite a formidable starting XI, but SRH is the only team that can form an equally strong second XI that can give a tough competition to any IPL team.

So here we take a look at SRH's strongest second XI that could beat any side on their day. But before moving on to the second XI, let's have a look at what could be their first choice playing XI.

First Choice Playing XI

David Warner, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma

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Martin Guptill

Martin Guptill

Undoubtedly, Martin Guptill is currently one of the best openers in the shortest format of the game. Even though he has not been successful in IPL, he is someone who can destroy any bowling lineup on his day. Guptill is expected to be SRH's backup opener this season. So, the Kiwi batsman will be looking forward to making the most of his opportunities in IPL 2019.

Guptill has very impressive numbers in T20Is as he has scored 2272 runs from 76 T20Is at an average of 33.91 and a strike rate of 132.71 with 105 being his highest score. Guptill would like to do something similar in the IPL too.

Sreevats Goswami

Sreevats Goswami has been a part of the IPL from the very beginning but has never managed to perform as per his potential and that is why he has only managed to play just 29 matches in IPL despite being a part of the league for a long time. However, he has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket.

The 29-year-old has quite decent numbers in T20s as he has scored 1931 from 79 innings with the help of 11 fifties.

Wriddhiman Saha is expected to be SRH's first choice wicketkeeper, hence Goswami will be their reserve wicketkeeper in IPL 2019 and will also be the wicketkeeper of this XI.

These two forms a quite devastating opening pair and hence are the perfect picks for the two opener's spots in the XI.

Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow

The destructive right-hand batsman Jonny Bairstow is one of the star performers with the bat for England across the three formats. In recent times, he has emerged as one of the best openers in limited overs cricket and that was one of the main reasons why SRH bought him for the upcoming season. The English batsman will be looking forward to make his IPL debut memorable by performing well in the league.

So far, Bairstow has smashed 1766 runs from 99 T20s at an average of 25.22 and a strike rate of 127.69 with unbeaten 102 being his highest.

Ricky Bhui

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The very talented right-hand batsman Ricky Bhui is one of the most consistent players in the domestic circuit and plays Ranji Trophy for Andhra Pradesh. The right-handed batsman has a knack of playing big knocks and that too with a good strike rate. His T20 numbers are quite impressive as he has scored 834 runs from 34 T20 matches with the help of 6 fifties and 1 century and at a good strike rate of 134.95.

Presence of Ricky Bhui will provide much-needed stability to SRH's batting lineup.

Deepak Hooda

Hard-hitting all-rounder Deepak Hooda is one of the most promising talents of Indian cricket and has been a regular performer in the domestic circuit. He performed really well in his debut IPL season in 2015 but he has not been able to perform as per his talent since then. However, He could prove to be a great all-rounder for SRH in IPL 2019 if he performs as per his caliber.

Hooda has played a total of 95 matches in the shortest format of the game. In his T20 career, He has scored 1325 runs from 78 innings and has picked 12 wickets from 35 innings.

The all-rounder will be looking forward to make a mark in IPL 2019.

Mohammad Nabi

Versatile Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi is one of the first two players from Afghanistan to play in the Indian Premier League. He is arguably one of Afghanistan's best all-rounders at the moment. He is someone who can be very useful with his power-hitting lower down the order and his economical bowling in middle overs

So far, Nabi has played a total of 207 T20s and has scored 3060 runs from them at an average of 22.66 and a strike rate of 141.79 with 89 being his highest. While bowling he has taken 217 wickets at an average of 22.08 and an economy rate of 6.93.

Nabi has not got enough opportunities to play in IPL but will be looking forward to make the most of his limited opportunities at SRH in IPL 2019.

Owing to his captaincy capabilities, Nabi will lead this second choice XI of SRH.

Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma is a hard-hitting left-hand batsman and a decent left-arm spinner from Punjab. The teenager was a part of victorious Indian U19 team at U19 World Cup 2018. Abhishek is one of the most talented players in domestic cricket. He showed us some glimpse of his batting potential last season when he played a blistering knock of 46 off just 19 balls while playing for Delhi Capitals.

He is not only a devastating batsman but also a decent left-arm spinner who could be very useful for SRH in IPL 2019.

Billy Stanlake

Right-arm Aussie pacer Billy Stanlake has been in good form in recent times. In the last IPL season, Stanlake emerged as one of the surprise packages in the league. He was performing really well in IPL 2018 but had to leave the tournament midway owing to an injury. Last year, he picked up 5 wickets from 4 matches at an average 26.00 of and an economy rate of 8.12.

In his T20 career, Stanlake has picked up 62 wickets from 51 matches at an average of 23.95 and an economy rate of 7.88 with 8/4 being his best figures.

Having missed most of last season, he will be very desperate to perform in IPL 2019 for SRH.

Khaleel Ahmed

Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed is one of the most talented pacers in Indian cricket at the moment. He has been in a good form of late in international cricket. After impressing the fans in international cricket, Khaleel will surely want to continue his form in IPL as well. Owing to his wicket-taking abilities he is an ideal pick in the XI. Being a left-arm pacer, he also brings a variety to the pace attack.

So far, Khaleel has managed to play just one match in IPL but has played 9 T20Is for the Indian Team and has picked 10 wickets from them. Khaleel will surely want to replicate is international cricket's success in this years IPL as well.

Basil Thampi

Basil Thampi is an extremely talented pacer from Kerala. Thampi has already shown us his talent in previous seasons of IPL with his impressive bowling. The 25-year-old is one of those bowlers who can consistently bowl yorkers, which makes him dangerous in the shortest format of the game.

The Kerala pacer has played a total of 49 T20s in his career and has picked 55 wickets from them at an average of 25.61 and an economy rate of 8.16. He will be looking forward to do well in the approaching season of IPL.

Billy Stanlake, Khaleel Ahmed and Basil Thampi form a quite lethal pace trio which can demolish any batting lineup on their day.

Shahbaz Nadeem

The left-arm spinner from Jharkhand, Shahbaz Nadeem will be the lone spinner in the XI. Nadeem is one of the most underrated players in IPL history. He has been a consistent performer in IPL but never got his due. His ability to pick up wickets without giving away too many runs makes him a must-have player in the shortest format of the game. Hence, the left-arm spinner is an ideal pick for a spinner's spot in the XI.

In his T20 career, Nadeem has picked up 96 wickets from 112 innings at an average of 28.21 and an impressive economy rate of 6.74. Nadeem will want to carry on his IPL success with SRH as well.

Second Choice XI: Martin Guptill, Sreevats Goswami(wk), Jonny Bairstow, Ricky Bhui, Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Nabi (c), Abhishek Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Billy Stanlake, Basil Thampi, and Shahbaz Nadeem.