IPL 2021: Match 37 - Strongest Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Predicted Playing XI against Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Nothing seems to be going right for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The same old problem of batting failure came back to haunt again once again as their batters could only score 134 runs against Delhi Capitals. Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag was unimpressed by SRH batters and said lack of intent was the main cause of the team not able to score a huge total.

Clearly, what Sehwag said was right as SRH batters scored at a strike rate below 130 barring Abdul Samad, who incidentally also top-scored for them with 28 runs. Worst, the franchise have also been hit by T Natarajan’s positive COVID-19 case. Vijay Shankar, one of the close contacts identified too is under isolation.

Also, with Jonny Bairstow unavailable for the remainder of the season, the batting seems to be heavily reliant on skipper Kane Williamson and David Warner, who both failed against DC. SRH are currently placed last on the points table with just one win from eight games. The SRH management can only hope for a turnaround and would expect the big guns to step up. Their next match is against Punjab Kings (PBKS), and they can hope to do well in that game by performing well with the bat.

Meanwhile, here’s the predicted playing XI of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2021 match 37

Openers- David Warner, Wriddhiman Saha

David Warner needs runs, and SRH badly wants their star player to perform well. The southpaw was out for a duck against DC, and that brought Williamson earlier than expected. This season, Warner has failed to live up to those mighty high standards that he has set himself. His slump has also reflected on SRH’s performance. But with six games yet to go, Warner can look to end the campaign on high.

Meanwhile, his partner Wriddhiman Saha too failed to perform against DC as he scored only 18 runs. A good start upfront can help SRH’s middle-order batters to perform well without any pressure. Saha will be hoping to get some runs under his belt and provide the team with a good start up front.

Middle Order – Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg

A lot rests on the shoulders of skipper Williamson’s contribution in their match against PBKS. The batting has been the main problem, and it was evident against DC that after his wicket the team imploded. A rare failure in the last match will be enough for a class player like Williamson to come back stronger and help the team win a few games at the business end of the tournament.

Meanwhile, he will need support from his other two middle-order batters in the form of Manish Pandey and Priyam Garg. Pandey, by and large, has been disappointing and has failed to score runs briskly. But the match is going to be played at Sharjah, and that could help him find some form. Priyam Garg’s inclusion in the middle-order might give the team some lift in the fledging middle-order department. Garg is also a good fielder and easily prevents runs in the field.

All-rounders – Jason Holder and Abdul Samad

West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder didn’t perform well in the last match against DC. His failure with both bat and ball hampered SRH in going for the kill. With Sherfane Rutherford too unavailable, Holder will most probably play against PBKS.

On the other hand, Abdul Samad had a good outing against DC, and his late cameo of 28 runs propelled SRH to reach a respectable total in the end. In a short period, Samad has delivered for the team by finishing off well for the team. He will hope to continue with the same momentum.

Bowlers – Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, and Khaleel Ahmed

Rashid Khan had a rare off-day against DC but expect the champion leg-spinner to bounce back even stronger against PBKS. Rashid has been one of the shining stars of the team as he has so far taken 11 wickets and would love to add more to his tally. SRH lead pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a rare off the day against DC as he failed to pick up even a single wicket. But Kumar managed to keep things tight, and that should augur well for the SRH.

With Natarajan missing from the action due to COVID, the onus now rests on the other two pacers Sandeep Sharma and Khaleel Ahmed, to take wickets as well as contain the run-flow. While Ahmed looked good against DC, Sharma failed to pick up wickets.