IPL 2022: Match 5- Strongest Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Predicted Playing XI against Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Sunrisers Hyderabad will kickstart their IPL 2022 campaign against the Rajasthan Royals at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on March 29. After rebuilding their squad, Hyderabad would be looking forward to having a memorable season this time around. They have retained New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson as their first-choice captain. SRH had a forgettable 2021 where they finished at the bottom of the points table for the very first time.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Class of 22 looks very strong on paper. They really have a balanced squad as far as their batting and bowling are concerned. Apart from captain Williamson, the 2016 winners retained two more players- the Jammu and Kashmir duo of pacer Umran  Malik and middle-order batter Abdul Samad. Apart from that, they also bought back pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan. The franchise also welcomed players like Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Kartik Tyagi, Marco Jansen, Sean Abbott, Washington Sundar to name a few.

Here’s a look at Sunrisers Hyderabad Playing XI for the game against RR

Openers (Kane Williamson (C) and Abhishek Sharma)

With the explosive duo of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow no longer in the SRH setup, the onus will now be on Kane Williamson and Abhishek Sharma to lay a solid foundation for the Orange Army. Kane Williamson can go on to play a match-defining knock once he is set. It is to be noted that the Kiwi batting megastar had won the Orange Cap in 2018 for having amassed 735 runs from 17 matches. Sharma on the other hand has scored 241 runs in the 22 matches that he has played since the 2018 edition.

Middle-order (Rahul Tripathi, Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran (Wk))

The SRH middle-order is more than capable enough to take on any opposition bowling attack. While Abdul Samad is yet to prove himself as a top batter, the youngster can single-handedly take the team to a competitive total by adding finishing touches in the death overs. Pooran on the other hand can leave any bowling attack demoralized with his aggressive batting approach in the middle and death overs once he settles down.

The team will be relying on Tripathi’s experience having proved his mettle as a consistent batter for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. He also has the ability to take his team to a big score in the Powerplay overs. Markram on the other hand might not be in great touch but, all he needs is one or two innings to rediscover his rhythm.

All-rounders: (Washington Sundar and Shreyas Gopal)

A lot will be riding on the promising new recruit Washington Sundar and the new recruit Shreyas Gopal to make a tremendous impact with their all-around abilities. Sundar has a wealth of experience under his belt having played for India and RCB previously in the IPL. In 42 IPL matches, the Chennai cricketer has amassed 217 runs and has also registered 27 scalps to his name with his right arm off-break.

While Shreyas Gopal has the experience of having bamboozled the best in the business previously, he has also proved to be a handy batter lower down the order and the spin sensation would be expected to continue the same role this time around in SRH colors.

Bowlers:  (Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, and Umran Malik)

The bowling attack of SRH is one of the strongest in the tournament. Proteas pace sensation Marco Jansen might miss out on the season opener but,  the other members of the pace trio can turn out to be very lethal for the opposition. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been marred with injuries in the last couple of seasons but, he can still be a threat should he be able to generate swing upfront. Natarajan is famously known as the ‘Yorker King’ has the ability to bowl yorkers at will. He can also be unplayable at times during the death overs.

The uncapped Umran Malik is yet to make a mark in the IPL but, during his debut season in 2021, he did announce his arrival to the big stage in style by clocking over 150 kmph on a few occasions.