Complete Analysis of the SRH Squad in IPL 2020

The Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise is very similar to their ex-captain Kane Williamson’s New Zealand team. They have always packed a punch even though on paper they don’t look very strong. They have been put up consistent performances in the last few years and lifted the cup in 2016. Ever since 2016, they have always made the playoffs. A lot of credit for their recent success goes to the coaching trio of VVS Laxman, Muralitharan, and Tom Moody. Unfortunately, Tom Moody will not be part of the support staff in IPL 2020.

Their captain David Warner had a dream run in 2016 and almost single-handedly clinched the cup for SRH. By some accounts, Warner has been the greatest IPL batsman of all time. His consistency has been second to none and not only does he like donning the orange jersey, but also the orange cap. The maverick southpaw has been the recipient of the orange cap thrice (2015,2017,2019) which happens to be a record. This is a team that believes in the saying ‘bowlers win you matches’. How does SRH stack up against other teams in IPL 2020? Is their Indian batting a worry? Let’s find out;

SWOT Analysis

Strengths – Historically SRH’s strength has been their bowling and IPL 2020 is no different. Most IPL teams have a maximum of one quality Indian pacer, however, with the orange army that’s not a problem. They have a battery of quality Indian pacers led by the brilliant Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. Khaleel Ahmed may not have set the International stage on fire, but his output in the recent seasons of the cash-rich league has been quite impressive. One of the most underrated Indian pacers is Sandeep Sharma, who along with fellow Punjab bowler Siddharth Kaul has done a stellar job. Even Basil Thampi has been decent in the limited opportunities he’s got. To top it all up the Afghani spin twins (Rashid and Nabi) make this the most impressive bowling line up in the competition.

Also Read: Complete Analysis of the KKR Squad in IPL 2020

Weaknesses – While SRH is spoilt for choices when it comes to their bowling, it’s pretty much scraping the barrel stuff when it comes to their batting resources. Apart from Manish Pandey, the team doesn’t boast of a single experienced Indian batsman of note. They are heavily reliant on Warner and Bairstow at the top. While Williamson has also been terrific, it will be a huge gamble to have a top 3 full of overseas batsmen. Vijay Shankar came in at number 4 in the last IPL but had a horrific season. SRH’s Indian batting is their biggest worry going into IPL 2020.

Opportunities – Due to the lack of resources as far as Indian batting is concerned, SRH picked up Virat Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and Priyam Garg in the IPL 2020 auctions. While none of them have experience playing in as big a tournament like IPL, all three of them have been super impressive in domestic cricket. Should they come off, SRH will be sorted not only when it comes to IPL 2020, but for many seasons.

Threats – SRH’s opportunity can very easily become their threat in IPL 2020. Since all the experience in the batting lineup lies at the top, the most crucial overs will be faced by the least experienced players. Any opposition team will fancy their chances once they get past Warner and Bairstow. While both Rashid and Nabi can wield the willow, it would be asking too much of them to put up consistently good performances lower down the order. Therefore, the middle-lower order of SRH can prove to be their biggest threat.

Cricket Cult’s Ideal SRH Playing XI for IPL 2020

1. David Warner (C) 2. Johnny Bairstow (WK) 3. Manish Pandey 4. Virat Singh 5. Vijay Shankar 6. Abhishek Sharma   7. Mohammed Nabi 8. Rashid Khan 9. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar 10. Khaleel Ahmed  11. Shahbaz Nadeem

It’s a hard decision to leave someone of the class of Williamson out but the fact is that Bairstow is a more dangerous T20 player and did exceedingly well last year. Additionally, he will also take the wicket-keeping responsibilities. Mohammed Nabi would play as the 4th overseas choice purely looking at the UAE surfaces. The former Afghanistan captain also is SRH’s best finisher and therefore has to play in the XI. Shahbaz Nadeem also gets the nod ahead of the likes of Sandeep Sharma and Siddharth Kaul as having 12 overs of spin will be essential in IPL 2020. Nadeem’s selection is also aided by the fact that Vijay Shankar can play the role of third seamer or the sixth bowling option, should the need arise. Priyam Garg misses out as Abhishek Sharma and Virat Singh have a reputation for hitting a long ball.

Also Read: Complete Analysis of the RCB Squad in IPL 2020

Key Players 

David Warner, Rashid Khan, and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar are the key players for SRH in IPL 2020. David Warner is the captain of the team and their best batsman. He will want to quickly forget an abysmal white-ball tour of England and get back to scoring big runs for SRH. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is the best and most experienced fast bowler in the squad and would have the mantle of bowling in the powerplay and at the death. Rashid Khan’s inspirational energy will lift the whole team besides him being Warner’s go-to bowler whenever he needs a wicket or a tight over.

Bell-Weather Players

Bell weather players are those players whose performance is directly proportional to the team’s performance. They might not be the superstars of the IPL like Warner, Rashid, and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, but they will make the difference. We all know that these star players will come good in the tournament. However, for the team to do well, they have to be well-supported by what I call the ‘bell weather’ players. The bell-weather players for SRH in IPL 2020 will be Manish Pandey, Mohammed Nabi, and Vijay Shankar. Manish Pandey will walk out to bat at number 3 and will have a crucial responsibility of taking the pressure of the openers. If Pandey is on song, then the Warner-Bairstow combine can free up. Vijay Shankar will have the responsibility of holding the inexperienced middle and lower order together. Should he do his job well, it will solve SRH’s biggest problem. Much like CPL 2020, Nabi will have to excel with both bat and ball. The UAE conditions will be perfect for his bowling. As mentioned above, he is the best finisher in the squad too.

Cricket Cult’s Predictions

Like previous editions, SRH looks like they lack the firepower with the bat. The problem for them in IPL 2020 is that historically weaker teams like DC and KXIP have done a stellar job in the auctions. Hence it will be an uphill task for SRH this year. Of course, they can spring a surprise but according to us, they will struggle to reach the playoffs. They might end up somewhere around the 6th or 7th position on the table at the end of the league stage. However, Warner will be in the running for the orange cap, whilst Rashid will be a contender for the purple cap.