IPL 7: Can Balanced SRH Go All The Way?

Sarang Bhalerao
Sarang Bhalerao
Updated on Apr 18, 2014, 14:37 IST
Sunrisers Hyderabad – a franchise that replaced Deccan Chargers the last year’s IPL – did exceedingly well in their first season. In the auction this year the franchise didn’t go for big names but instead bid good amount on Indian domestic players

Sunrisers Hyderabad – a franchise that replaced Deccan Chargers the last year’s IPL – did exceedingly well in their first season. In the auction this year the franchise didn’t go for big names but instead bid good amount on Indian domestic players. The core of the team has been retained from the previous year. Presence of power-packed batsmen at the top of the order bodes well for the franchise. One of India’s best all-rounders is now part of Hyderabad franchise. Add to that a couple of international all-rounders. Resourceful fast bowling unit and two leg-spinners makes Hyderabad’s attack formidable. Indiatimes analyses Sunrisers Hyderabad squad. 

Aggressive Top-Order

Shikhar Dhawan



David Warner and Aaron Finch are two of the fiercest openers in T20 format. Finch recorded the highest individual score in the international T20 cricket in 2013 when he smashed 156 against England in Southampton. The USP of Finch’s batting is the solid balance while striking the ball. Warner too has the propensity to go on the attack right from the outset. He is likely to bat at No. 3. 

Opening the batting with Finch will be Shikhar Dhawan, the Hyderabad skipper, who's SRH's batting linchpin. The southpaw, who was dropped from the Indian side in the World Twenty20 game after the Bangladesh game, will be looking to get in good touch and strike form.  

Naman Ojha, earlier part of Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, is a capable batsman who has the ability to play impactful innings. 

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Game-Changing All-Rounders

Darren Sammy


Sunrisers Hyderabad retained Darren Sammy in their squad. The West Indies skipper has recently been in red-hot form finishing the innings in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. For the Sunrisers, Sammy was one of the superstars from last year’s campaign. Sammy, who performed a jig with the pacifier whenever he got a wicket, is a wicket-to-wicket bowler who is very handy option for the captain on slow wickets. 

One of Hyderabad’s key acquisitions was that of Irfan Pathan. The all-rounder is a very lethal bowler when he gets late swing. He has been in good bowling form in the domestic cricket and will be looking to carry that forward in IPL 2014. He is a useful lower middle-order batsman. 

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Pace Bowling – Top Quality

Dale Steyn


Dale Steyn has been a star performer for Hyderabad – (Deccan Chargers as well as Sunrisers) – will be expected to give the side early breakthroughs and contain runs in the death overs. He’ll be accompanied by Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Ishant is a quality bowler who was in poor form recently which led to his exclusion from the Asia Cup and World Twenty20. The gangly Delhi lad will be looking to get his rhythm back in the IPL 2014. 

Bhuvneshwar’s ability to swing the new ball will make him a dangerous proposition. 

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Two Leg-Spinners

Amit Mishra


One of the reasons why Sunrisers Hyderabad were successful in IPL 2013 was because of two leg spinners – Amit Mishra and Karn Sharma – who dried out the runs in the middle overs. 

Mishra believes in beating the batsmen in flight relying on his variations. He was successful in the recently concluded World Twenty20 bowling slow through the air and getting lot of revolutions. 

Karn Sharma relies on accuracy and is a tad faster through the air. 

With the tracks expected to be on the slower side, the spinning duo may turn out to be a potent match-winning combination. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Talk to Sarang Bhalerao, an engineer-turned-media-professional, about anything in sport and you’ll see his passion. He is a sports fanatic and a cricket encyclopedia. He loves watching MS Dhoni’s helicopter shot, Roger Federer’s one-handed backhand and Cristiano Ronaldo’s magical kicks. As a sports journalist he wishes to see an Indian holding the glinting gold trophy in SW19. Once out of work he is seen playing outdoor sports.

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