Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers Hyderabad have got some of the top T20 players in their squad - David Warner at the top, the Afghan pair of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi in the lower middle and Bhuvneshwar Kumar leading the bowling attack. But beyond these names lies the emptiness.
Warner and Jonny Bairstow will once again be the soul of the SRH batting order while Rashid, Nabi and Bhuvi will form more than half of the best bowling lineup that the franchise can arrange, will be looking. But barring them, SRH will have to settle in for a strong middle-order lineup, an area that has over the last few seasons haunted the 2016 champions. Hence, head coach Trevor Bayliss and the management will be heavily relying on the usual suspects to make an impactful campaign in the UAE while looking to find a solution for the middle-order.
Batting: Warner and Bairstow will look to pick it up from where they had left in IPL 2019. While the Aussie scored 692 runs in 12 matches last season, the English opener plundered 445 runs in 10 matches with the partnership tally including a hat-trick of century stands.
After that? Who will be SRH's No.3? Will it be Kane Williamson? The Kiwi was astounding in the year he had stepped in place of Warner scoring over 700 runs. And those runs did come at No.3. But then SRH will also have to fit in Manish Pandey who has been the fulcrum for team when each time there was an early top-order collapse. He also has the ability to play deep in the innings, although as an anchor, much like Williamson, who is also strong against spin.
SRH can also look at young Abdul Samad from Jammu and Kashmir who scored more number of sixes in 2019/20 Ranji season despite playing two matches fewer than possible and has a strike rate of over 100. And in the 10 T20 innings he has played in domestic cricket, Samad has scored 240 runs at 40.00 with a strike rate of 136.36. However, he plays the role of a finisher at the domestic level which would leave him vying for a spot in the SRH line-up alongside Nabi, Vijay Shankar and Fabian Allen.
The "3-d player" can also be considered as No.4 given it was the role that he was picked for by the Indian team management for World Cup 2019. Wriddhiman Saha could also be a possibility at No.4. He has a strike rate of 142.48 at that position in IPL. Remember that IPL final century? It was scored from No.4.
So if Manish is No.3, Saha is at No.4, Shankar will be backed for the No.5 role. In the lower-middle order, SRH will have Nabi and Samad with Rashid and Bhuvi forming the tail. Not to forget, SRH have a strong finishing option on Allen as well who can also deliver a few left-arm spin.
Bowling: With three impactful T20 players in the bowling lineup, SRH will fret little over this department. Nabi and Rashid will be taking over the middle-over duties with Shankar coming in for a few overs. SRH can also add Shabaz Nadeem into the spin attack given the nature of UAE pitches. But a huge responsibility will be on the shoulders of Bhuvi who will have to bowl two overs with the new ball and then come back in the death overs as well. They also have left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed who will accompany Bhuvi in the pace lineup. They also have Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Basil Thampi and an overseas option in Billy Stanlake.
Ideal playing XI: Warner, Bairstow, Manish, Saha, Shankar, Samad, Nabi, Rashid, Bhuvi, Sandeep/Khaleel, Nadeem.
Verdict: If the usual suspects can deliver to their full potential SRH might manage a playoffs berth. Remember, it took only Warner and Bairstow to get them to the playoffs last season despite struggling immensely in the middle-order.
