IPL 2020: A complete SWOT Analysis of all eight teams

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Squad- David Warner(c), Rashid Khan, Abdul Samad, Abhishiek Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Fabian Allen, Jonny Bairstow, Basil Thampi, Priyam Garg, Shreevats Goswami, Siddharth Kaul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mitchell Marsh, Mohammad Nabi, Shahbaz Nadeem, T Natarajan, Manish Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha, Bavanka Sandeep, Sandeep Sharma, Sanjay Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Billy Stanlake, Virat Singh, Kane Williamson

Strengths

• Fearsome Opening Pair- In David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, Sunrisers Hyderabad have the most destructive opening pair for the upcoming IPL. Last season, while Warner scored 692 runs in 12 matches at a phenomenal average of 69.20 and took home the Orange Cap, Bairstow playing his first season matched him stroke for stroke scoring 445 runs in 10 matches at an average of 55.62 and excellent strike rate of 157.24. Their partnership of 185 against RCB last year, broke the record for the highest opening stand in IPL, in a match where both the batsmen scored tons. The Australian-English duo will be looking to replicate their scintillating form last year.

• All Round Abilities of Rashid Khan- The leg-spinner has perhaps the been the biggest finds of IPL in recent times. The young leggie from Afghanistan who made his debut for SRH in 2017, has picked up 55 wickets in the last 3 seasons and is one of the best, if not the best T20 bowler currently. He is going to be one of the X-factors for Hyderabad this time around as well, and playing on the slower pitches of UAE is going to make him a greater threat. Apart from his bowling, Rashid Khan has grown in stature as a batsman too. Coming in down the order he has showcased over the last 18 months, that he has an array of shots and is more than capable with the bat. Add to that the fact that Rashid is one of the most brilliant fielders going around, he is a complete package and definitely one of Sunrisers’ biggest strengths.

Weakness

• Lack of accomplished players in the middle order- Inexperience and a lack of firepower right through the middle order has been a problem for SRH for quite some time. They have tried to fill in that gap by getting in someone like Mitchell Marsh this time around, but it is unlikely Marsh will play in UAE as Kane Williamson at 3 or Mohammad Nabi at number 7 will be preferred over him. Irrespective of who plays between Nabi and Kane, a few spots in the middle order will be left vulnerable. While the likes of Vijay Shankar and Wriddhiman Saha are good batsmen, T20 is not quite their forte. Similarly, Priyam Garg and Abhishiek Sharma, two youngsters in the squad just don’t have enough experience yet. Letting go of both Yusuf Pathan and Deepak Hooda, the players who made up their middle order last two seasons, although with limited returns, might prove to be detrimental as they haven’t been able to find a backup-a hard hitting Indian batsman for the middle order.

Opportunity

• Sunrisers will benefit from the fact that two important members of their squad Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi are taking part in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League and doing well.

Threat

• Over reliance on Rashid Khan and David Warner could be a threat for the Sunrisers Hyderabad as both these players have the carried the team single handedly in a number of games. But whenever they have failed, Hyderabad have looked lacklustre.

Potential Surprises– Priyam Garg, Fabian Allen