IPL 10: Match 33, KXIP v SRH - Sunrisers Hyderabad Predicted XI

Sunrisers Hyderabad, the defending champions, are yet to win an away game this season and would want to get on the board soon as far as away wins are concerned. David Warner led side has been in decent form this season but have looked vulnerable in final moments of the matches.

Sunrisers have got an untimely break as their match against Royal Challengers was washed out. Before that, they had lost to Rising Pune Supergiant and they would like to get back the winning momentum soon as the tournament enters into its second half.

Hyderabad is third on the points table with 8 points after eight matches. Batting has never been a problem for them but this season they have been pretty slow in the power plays. While there is no issue with keeping wickets in hand, slow run rate puts pressure on the misfiring middle order and more often than not the team ends up with a below par score.

The bowling attack has fared well so far with Bhuvneshwar Kumar being the purple cap holder. Siddharth Kaul has bowled the last over of the match while defending thrice now and has come up trumps twice. Rashid Khan has continued to be a mystery bowler and teams have started playing him cautiously now.

Kings XI gave them a run for their money when these two teams met in Hyderabad on 17th April this season and Sunrisers would want their combinations to get right and register their first away win. Here we take a look at CricTracker’s predicted XI for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Openers (David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan)

David Warner has been on song with the bat this season with 282 runs in 7 innings at a decent strike rate of around 130 and an amazing average of 56.40. He looks set to take over the Orange cap from Gautam Gambhir who has scored 305 runs in 8 innings. He has led the side from the front with the bat in hand and held the innings together which has allowed the middle order to unleash themselves in the death overs.

His opening partner Shikhar Dhawan has also started showing fluency after a slow start. He has accumulated 235 runs in this season, 70 being the highest. Shikhar is due for a big score now and he would love to do that in their next match and get back into the sizzling form.

Middle Order (Kane Williamson, Deepak Hooda and Naman Ojha)

Kane Williamson started his season with a bang with a match winning innings of 70 against Delhi Daredevils which help Sunrisers post a formidable total of 191. He is the perfect number 3 for a team like Sunrisers who have attacking openers.

Deepak Hooda is that raw batting radiance in the Sunrisers team who is expected to give them a push towards the end of the inning. Hooda hasn’t been bothered with the pressure of responsibility but has the license to go for the kill as soon as he sets foot on the field. He is yet to get the big score but his 19* against Supergiant took them close to 180 and should save him his spot in the team.

Sunrisers are one of the very few sides who have a proper wicket keeper. Naman Ojha has proved his skills behind the wicket and has also contributed with the bat. But this season he has not been required much with the bat. It would not be a bad idea to promote him up the order to spend some time in the middle.

AllRounders (Moises Henriques and Yuvraj Singh)

Moises Henriques has been finishing games well this season. His quickfire 55 against Rising Pune Supergiant propelled Sunrisers to a commanding total batting first. His medium pace bowling is an added advantage to his destructive batting.

Yuvraj Singh has had a quiet season so far after his blazing innings against RCB in the season opener. He had to miss one game also as he was unwell and would be itching to perform after a series of low scores. His slow left-arm spin is also crucial for his side and in some way or the other he would look to contribute in the upcoming games.

Bowlers (Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Mohammed Siraj)

Sunrisers are blessed to have one of the best bowling units of the IPL. They have all the bases covered when it comes to the bowlers along with allrounders Yuvraj and Henriques.  

Bhuvneshwar has been the best bowler so far in this IPL. His numbers while bowling at the death are staggering. He has conceded more than 10 in an over only once in the death overs this season. He has been bowling in the powerplays as well and has been one of the most economical bowlers of the season giving away only 6.28 runs per over. Bhuvneshwar’s form is key to Sunrisers’ success as the tournament progresses.

Rashid is one of the finds of this IPL and no wonder he has lived up to the expectations. Very few expected him to perform at the highest level after being immensely popular in Associate cricket. All the teams are playing out his four overs but batsmen are still struggling to pick his variations. 

Siddarth Kaul has been the man for Warner and his team who has been keeping his cool and finishing the games with the ball. He did it against the same opposition whom they will face in the next game in Hyderabad 10 days ago when he had to defend only 11 in the last over. Warner has used him tactically well and is likely to improve and come up as one of the bowlers to look for in future for India.

Hyderabad pacer Mohammed Siraj has just played a couple of games in this IPL and has a lot to get right but certainly has the potential to deliver at the big stage. He has 2 wickets in two games and the economy has been on the higher side but only experience can teach him to adapt his bowling to the requirements of the T20 level.