IPL 2018: SRH v KXIP, Match 25 - Sunrisers Hyderabad Predicted XI

Talk about season-defining performances, the Sunrisers Hyderabad pulled off something similar against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede. They defended the second lowest total in Indian Premier League (IPL) history and sabotaged Mumbai’s hopes of gifting Sachin Tendulkar a sweet birthday present.

Led by the exuberant Kane Williamson, they showed great character with the ball at the Wankhede after failing to do anything significant with the bat. Each and every one of their bowlers joined the party and helped their side script one of the most memorable performances in their short-little IPL history.

Up next for them are the table-toppers Kings XI Punjab, who are looking way too ominous as it stands. Their skipper Ravichandran Ashwin is already dreaming of lifting the title at Wankhede on 27th next month, a dream that can well truly come true give they continue this form. For this huge contest, here’s the predicted XI of the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Openers – (Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson)

What can be said about this Kiwi superstar named Kane Williamson? He has been outstanding as a skipper and with the bat as well, he is leading the side from the front. Many said his technique has certain limitations for the T20 format, but he managed to deliver a few power-packed performances already.

Shikhar Dhawan is struggling with a few niggles currently, but on his day, he’s an absolute match-winner. Probably one of the most important members of the SRH unit, Dhawan in good form is not a great sight for any bowling lineup. It’ll be interesting to see how he approaches on Thursday,

Middle Order – (Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan)

Wriddhiman Saha is being severely criticized for his batting form, but he is probably the best keeper the team can ask for. Henceforth, it won’t be surprising if he keeps his place for the rest of the tournament. Yusuf Pathan is getting some crucial runs and is gaining very important confidence going into the main juncture of the tournament.

Manish Pandey is under the scanner and is being scrutinized more severely than anyone else. The SRH management bought his services for Rs. 11 crore and he has not been replicating accordingly for them as it stands. But that can change considering the talent he possesses.

All-rounders – (Mohammad Nabi and Shakib Al Hasan)

Mohammad Nabi finally got to represent the SRH unit for the first time this season. With the bat, he stroked a couple of brilliant shots and bowled well with the new ball. He is bound to get a few more games to prove himself and it’ll be interesting to see how the senior Afghan cricketer fares.

Shakib Al Hasan has been one of their best performers this season. He became the 5th bowler to scalp 300 T20 wickets after picking up Rohit Sharma in the game against Mumbai. He is contributing decently with the bat as well, making him a compulsion in the playing XI.

Bowlers- (Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Rashid Khan)

Basil Thampi’s Sunrisers debut proved to be a memorable one. The youngster was not given the ball till the 16th over and once he got it, he removed the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav. Siddarth Kaul was one of the stars of that epic Wankhede triumph and is having one eye already on the Purple Cap for this season.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be back in the XI to replace Sandeep Sharma. It’s going to be a harsh call as Sandeep has been bowling well but they have to bring their best player back into the setup. Rashid Khan showed the world how champions players comeback after a few bad games. He was the player of the match in Mumbai and will be keen for vengeance against Gayle.

Here’s SRH Predicted XI for the game against KXIP