Suraj Choudhari lists down 10 reasons why SRH are strong contenders to win IPL 8.
Sunrisers Hyderbad (SRH) have had a mixed run so far in the 2015 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But they seem to have got the right combination of their playing XI and look a force to reckon with. Suraj Choudhari lists down 10 reasons why SRH are strong contenders to win IPL 8.
1: Dhawan-Warner factor:
David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan have been SRH’s principal assassins this season. They have given their team a flying start in most of their outings. Warner has the Orange Cap with 504 runs at blistering strike-rate of 156.52 this season, while Dhawan has managed to score 344 runs at a healthy strike-rate of 124.18.
2: Death bowling
Bowling in the death has been a matter of concern for most teams in the tournament. With the king-sized bats and new rules, the balance is heavily biased in batsmen’s favour. SRH, however, has been exceptional with their death bowling as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Praveen Kumar have bowled yorkers to perfection.
3: Attacking captaincy:
The aggression that David Warner brings to his batting is seen in his captaincy as well. Warner has dared to attack rather than being defensive which helped him achieve fruitful results. It also shows the faith he has in his bowlers in a format that is not suited to their skills.
4: Effective all-rounders:
An effective all-rounder is priceless in any format. SRH have a plethora of impactful all-round cricketers in their side like Moises Henriques, Ravi Bopara and Karn Sharma who have made a mark with their performances this season. Karn has demonstrated his ability to hit big in recent matches.
5: Eoin Morgan strikes form:
After a dismal show with the bat in the recently World Cup, Morgan had his hopes pinned on IPL. An acknowledged T20 specialist, his return to form is bad news for SRH’s oppositions. He can change he course of a match in a few overs with sustained brilliance and aggression.
6: The Dale Steyn factor:
The South African paceman has largely remained in the background in this edition of IPL as SRH have favoured Trent Boult as their overseas choice. But no opposition will discount him or his ability to destroy batting line-ups in quick time. Having warmed the benches for a long time, Steyn could unleash the pent-up anger on the batsmen when he is played.
7: Peaking at the right time:
SRH has peaked at the right time. With the championship heading into the final stages, having most of the players in form is a huge plus for SRH.
8: Sensible and experienced support staff
SRH not only have some of the finest cricketing minds in their dug-out but also some of the calmest minds in Tom Moody (head coach), VVS Laxman, Muttiah Muralitharan and K Srikkanth as mentors. That’s a rich assemblage of cricketing talent for the team to fall back on.
9: Ability to defend low totals:
SRH carry a reputation of consistently defending low totals in the IPL. They have a formidable bowling attack and are well capable of defending low targets on any wicket. Bhuvneshwar and Praveen can get the new ball to swing and are equally effective in bowling yorkers in the death. Spinners like Karn Shama and Bipul Sharma have bowled decently and kept the batsmen under check in recent matches. The canny variations of Bopara are at times very tough to get away with. They arguably have the best bowling attack in the tournament, moreso if Steyn is included in the playing XI.
10: Absence of hype and glitz an advantage
SRH does not have the kind of glitz and hype that teams like Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians have. Which works to their advantage as the team can do with this needless pressure.
(Suraj Choudhari, an avid cricket follower who plays the sport at club level, is a staffer with Criclife)
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