Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody opens up about key players in the side

Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody shared some delightful insights about a set of key players in the side in this edition of the IPL. Moody, who was the man behind the scenes in Sunrisers’ journey to the IPL title last year, was all praises for the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Rashid Khan and skipper David Warner.

The Sunrisers began their title defense in clinical fashion but found themselves on the losing side on a couple of occasions. However, they pulled things back following a thrilling win against the Kings XI Punjab. They bettered the streak after emerging victorious in the encounter against Delhi Daredevils.

Ahead of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s clash against the Daredevils at home, Moody opened up about his key players in an exclusive video shared by the official Twitter handle for SRH.

Upon being asked about the importance of scoring in Powerplay, Moody said, “The most important aspect of Powerplay is keeping wickets in hand. We see so often that teams lose two or more wickets during the Powerplay and then tend to struggle to chase down the total or set a competitive total.”

“I think in last couple of years, Warner – Dhawan combination is probably the best opening pair among all the teams. It is important to have that partnership upfront,” the former Australian cricketer added.

David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan have been one of the most consistent opening pairs in the IPL. Following their brilliant starts at the top, the Sunrisers have persisted with the attacking duo which has permitted them to rack up runs season after season.

The duo has scored 1,914 runs across all seasons in the IPL at an average of 47.85. Warner and Dhawan have also put on four hundred-run stands and 12 fifty-run stands. The pair is ranked 3rd after two dynamic duos from RCB. The most successful pair in IPL history is, of course, Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, who have amassed 2,697 runs at the opening slot for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Close on their heels is the Kohli-AB de Villiers pair, who have 2,191 runs against their names.

Tom Moody also shed some light on the sensation from Afghanistan Rashid Khan. The youngster has foxed some of the best batsmen in this edition of the IPL and has his eyes on the Purple Cap. Tom Moody opined that the leggie still has an element of mystery about him.

“I think one player played him exceptionally well. And that happens in cricket. Someone is allowed to bat well. I still feel that he is a huge man of mystery. I think probably it is a good question to batsmen who haven’t faced him yet. I think they know they are in for a challenge because he is unique and has been very effective,” the SRH coach said.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad are currently at 2nd in the IPL standings. The team will look to register a couple of victories on the trot and increase their chances of the making it to the playoffs.