IPL 2018: SRH vs DD, Match 36 - Sunrisers Hyderabad Predicted XI

The Sunrisers bowlers have had a dream season this IPL. They have defended every possible target that came their way helping SRH get into such a good position on the points table. SRH has defended quite low totals in their previous three games which will give them a lot of confidence going into the next one. Furthermore, they’ve done all this without the presence of their vice-captain, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. This will be a heartening fact both for the team management and the fans.

The teams’ strength is expected to be bolstered with Bhuvi coming back in. Bhuvi has had a good layoff and will be looking to come back in the game against DD. This move will further strengthen SRH’s already dangerous bowling lineup. However, SRH would expect DD to go hard at them as every game for them is a virtual knockout.

Sunrisers will be hoping for their batting to click. They’ve had quite a disastrous season and failed to put up good scores on the board. But, at the same time, you cannot take it away from them given that they batted on relatively slower pitches in the last few games. Also, Alex Hales showing signs of good form will be a huge positive for them.

Here is the Predicted XI for the Sunrisers Hyderabad:

Openers (Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan)

Alex Hales making it into the final XI and getting amongst runs straight away is possibly the biggest positive for SRH as far as their batting is concerned. On what was a tough wicket to bat on, Alex Hales stayed in the middle really patient. He scored 45 off 39 in his first ever IPL game. But, he threw his wicket away in that game against RR trying to accelerate. His stay in there for a little while more could have made a lot of difference. However, he will look to take some confidence from that innings going into the next game.

The form of Shikhar Dhawan is a huge matter of concern for SRH. Shikhar has never looked comfortable ever since he has returned from his injury. It will be crucial for the SRH for Dhawan to perform well if they are to get through those tough situations. Most importantly, Dhawan should try to stay out there in the middle without being much aggressive right at the top. He can shift gears quickly anyways.

Middle Order (Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha)

Talk about grabbing an opportunity with both the hands and Kane Williamson. A player who could have possibly not made it into the XI is turning tides around for SRH. He is an inspirational leader and is performing exceptionally well with the bat. Kane has somewhat managed to fill in the shoes of David Warner and he is absolutely determined to do well. He has got 322 runs this season and is the backbone of the SRH lineup.

Manish Pandey has had a terrible season thus far for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Although he’s got to two fifties, Pandey hasn’t looked convincing and is struggling to get his timing right. Sunrisers Hyderabad is left with no other option but to field him in the XI given his expensive price tag. Saha is another huge disappointment. He is getting worse every match and is solely in the squad for his keeping abilities. He is expected to bat much lower down the order.

All-Rounders (Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan)

Shakib is one of the most crucial members in the Sunrisers Hyderabad setup. He adds a lot of value to the side although he hasn’t been among the runs or the wickets as much as expected. The Bangla all-rounder is going decently with the bat but is failing to convert the starts. He is a huge asset with the ball as he bowls economical spells in the powerplays and is equally useful at the death.

SRH got their move right by replacing Nabi by Hales in the last game. Yusuf could somewhat play a similar role as to what Nabi does. Although he isn’t bowling much off-late, he has picked a wicket right in his first over even though not in the most convincing ways. With the bat, he did well batting lower down the order and pushing the totals out of the reach of the oppositions.

Bowlers (Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul)

The biggest question that has been hunting the Sunrisers Hyderabad fans for quite some time now is about the return of Bhuvi. The Swing-King wasn’t in action due to a stiff back. However, he was deemed to be fit for the game against RR in Jaipur. He was also seen bowling in the nets but wasn’t in the XI. As he had his share of good rest, we might see him coming back to the XI. The remaining bowling lineup will not be changed. Rashid Khan will continue in the team and bowled supremely well in the last few games.

Sandeep Sharma and Siddarth Kaul will be the other two pacers in the team. Both these players have done significantly well to stand their place in the XI. Siddha is a leading contender for the Purple Cap and has 11 wickets to his name. Sandeep too is bowling really well in the powerplays and can get three overs straight in the first six.

Here’s SRH Predicted XI for the game against DD