Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2020 will once again aim to be consistent in the ranks and hope for a second title-post 2016. The Kane Williamson-led side had a decent Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2020. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who already have a settled unit, added some interesting youngsters in the squad to bolster their Indian contingent. The side looks experienced and has a nice touch to it. They will once again hope to put up a strong show.
At the IPL Auction 2020, the headline buys for Sunrisers Hyderabad was that of Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. The experienced cricketer, who is pretty crucial for any side, was snapped up for his base price of Rs 2 crore. West Indies’ Fabian Allen was also bought at a bargain deal of Rs 50 lakh.
The 24-year-old Allen presents himself as an all-round option, who can bowl left-arm spin.
SRH was sure of what they needed and they addressed the shortcomings of proper Indian players by buying the likes of Virat Singh (Rs 1.9 crore) and Priyam Garg (Rs 1.9 crore). Both these players are set to represent India in the U-19 World Cup next year. Notably, both are strong youngsters, who have shown their mettle of late. Garg is set to lead the U-19 side.
Besides these players, Sandeep Bavanaka, Abdul Samad and Sanjay Yadav were bought for Rs 20 lakh each.
Players bought by SRH in the IPL Auction 2020 –Virat Singh (Rs 1.9 crore), Priyam Garg (Rs 1.9 crore), Mitchell Marsh (Rs 2 crore), Fabian Allen (Rs 50 lakh), Sandeep Bavanaka (Rs 20 lakh), Abdul Samad (Rs 20 lakh), Sanjay Yadav (Rs 20 lakh).
A look at the full squad of SRH for IPL 2020 – Kane Williamson, David Warner, Manish Pandey, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Billy Stanlake, T Natarajan, Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mitchell Marsh, Fabian Allen, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sanjay Yadav, Jonny Bairstow, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Bavanaka Sandeep, Basil Thampi.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will look up to Warner-Bairstow magic yet again
In IPL 2019 season, SRH enjoyed seeing David Warner and Jonny Bairstow rip teams apart with their combination upfront with the bat. Warner was at his absolute best and won the prestigious Orange Cap after scoring the most runs. Bairstow also scored aplenty and supported Warner well. These guys left the tournament early because of World Cup preparations and that served as a blow for SRH in the play-offs.
However, this time around, we expect these two to play the entire tourney. On their day, they can be destructive as hell and be highly consistent with a series of partnerships. Then there is Williamson at number three and this constitutes one of the best front three in a T20 side. 19-year-old Garg has been superb in First-Class and List A cricket as well and at such a young age he has impressed at large. He can be an option in the top order.
22-year-old Virat has already shown his caliber in domestic cricket across formats. The Jharkhand batsman is a solid middle-order batsman. It will be a good test for him on the big stage. However, there is solidity in the ranks. Vijay Shankar will have another crucial season ahead as he will seek to find his way back into the side. He can be used as a floater.
The side gets the experienced Manish Pandey and wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha to add more shine. In Mitchell Marsh and Mohammad Nabi, the side gets two strong all-rounders. They can impact the game and play a role when SRH needs more firepower as per the conditions. Fabian Allen can be a handy customer with the bat as well.
The bowling is strong as expected for Sunrisers Hyderabad
The bowling is similar to what we have witnessed in the franchise over the last few seasons. Bhuvneshwar Kumar remains the strike bowler. He is currently injured but is set to be fit before the IPL. Khaleel Ahmed did well last season and will want to continue in the same vein for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The left-arm pacer has the attributes to make his presence felt with many variations on offer.
Sandeep Sharma, Basil Thampi and Siddarth Kaul are three experienced pacers that can support Bhuvi and Khaleel. This makes Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2020 a strong side in terms of impact with the pace-bowling 0n offer. Shankar is there as well to make this a rich unit. Australia’s Marsh adds more base with his pace. Then there is Billy Stanlake, who has been with the side for a while now. He adds depth from the bench. T Natarajan is an option with his medium pace.
When it comes to spin, Rashid Khan is the leading candidate. He has been excellent of late in the IPL and is a genuine wicket-taking bowler. A lot depends on how Rashid goes about things once again. He needs to carry SRH with his offerings. Shahbaz Nadeem is the left-arm spinner, who has done well in domestic cricket and has featured in the IPL for long.
He will support Rashid with his offerings. Nabi can be pretty crucial for the side. The Afghan sensation is highly experienced.
What are the weaknesses?
Shakib Al Hasan’s ban has weakened SRH. His inputs with the ball and bat will be missed dearly. Also, with the front three almost settled and Rashid being a fixed component in the side, Marsh and Nabi may not get many games. The side lacks an out and out finisher. Therefore, they need to think differently. Shankar could perhaps be the man at seven.
However, like recent times, SRH can once again struggle in the finishing department. They also look overdependent on the top order for the shine. If they fail, then the middle order doesn’t have that luxury to go and determine games.
Sunrisers Hyderabad among the pack to fight for play-offs in IPL 2020
SRH’s bowling is highly strong especially with the Indian options on offer. They can seek variety here. However, Bhuvi’s presence is a must and he is the one that can make a huge difference at the death. The others can rally around him. Rashid and Nadeem are two strong options in the spin department.
With the bat, SRH has the best top-order you can ask for. If the three get going, it will be hard to stop the side score immensely. What these players bring is consistency. However, the middle order lacks that shine. Pandey and Shankar will be highly crucial for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2020.
However, looking at SRH’s recent shows of late, the side knows how to get past the line in the group stage. Then at play-offs, it’s anybody’s game. Like many other sides, SRH has the chance to fight for the play-offs. But there are a few holes in this side. Williamson and Warner’s inputs will be vital and that is the key for a side like Sunrisers Hyderabad.