IPL 2018: SRH v CSK, Qualifier 1 - Sunrisers Hyderabad Predicted XI

Time has flown by so quickly this season and the IPL has reached its business end. The Sunrisers Hyderabad finished at the helm of the table, followed by the Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Rajasthan Royals. It has been a memorable season thus far for the table toppers from the South of India, barring the last three games.

Many experts feel the Sunrisers have become a bit predictable with their approach and that’s what led to their downfall in the previous three games. Kane Williamson as a skipper would never have thought his team would concede 187, 180, 217, and 173 runs in their last four innings. Having said that, to write them off would be a catastrophe for any good side.

They will now combat the Chennai Super Kings in the Qualifier 1 to book a direct berth in the final. This will be a huge game for both sides as although they have that extra chance in their grasp, no one would want to exercise it. Here’s the predicted XI of Kane Williamson’s Orange Army against the CSK, who have a much better head-to-head record against them.

Openers – Sreevats Goswami (wk), Shikhar Dhawan

Sreevats Goswami had a fantastic Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament and Wriddhiman Saha’s horror run with the bat paved way for him in the XI. He played a sublime knock at the top of the order against Kolkata Knight Riders, which should boost his confidence and earn him a ticket as the opener for this big game.

Shikhar Dhawan has found some good form exactly at the right time for the Sunrisers. Looking at the way their bowlers have conceded runs in the last couple of games, it’s imperative batsmen like he scores more runs. He scored 3 fifties in his last four games and is vying to add more big scores to his list.

Middle Order – Kane Williamson (C), Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan

Kane Williamson has been outstanding this season would be such an understatement. The way he transformed himself for the betterment of the site explains why people hail him as one of the best in the business. He’s running in contention for the Orange Cap as well, which should be a colossal achievement for him.

Manish Pandey has had one of the most forgettable IPL seasons of his career, but the management will keep trusting him for the big matches which are coming up. Yusuf Pathan has shown glimpses of his great form and his contribution has been pivotal as a finisher in a few games.

All-rounders – Shakib Al Hasan, Carlos Brathwaite

Talk about world class all-rounders and if Shakib Al Hasan’s name is not on the list, then the list is incomplete. Whilst he has not been the Sunrisers’ most important batsman, he has been fabulous with the bowl, giving 4 invaluable overs to the skipper in all the games thus far.

Carlos Brathwaite should’ve been brought into the XI a little earlier, but as they say, it’s better late than never. He gives them a 6th bowling option to the skipper, which in the contemporary cricketing world is a very important factor. No one’s oblivious to his hitting prowess as well and if he contributes in that area too, he’s going to be a real game changer.

Bowlers – Sandeep Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul

Sandeep Sharma has had a decent tournament this year, but he will be disappointed with the last few games, where he conceded way too many runs. But on a pitch where he can extract a little swing, he’ll be lethal. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had some injury concerns which kept him out of action for a lot of games, but he’s world class and not many would doubt his capability.

Rashid Khan has been their best bowler this season by a country mile. Every time Williamson needed a wicket, the Afghan has delivered. Siddarth Kaul will rank right up there amongst the best bowlers this season and he too, alongside Rashid Khan, has been picking up wickets at regular intervals for the side.