IPL 10 Match 1 SRH v RCB: Sunrisers Hyderabad Predicted XI

Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad is all set to begin their IPL 10 campaign against the Royal Challengers Bangalore today at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. It will be a rematch of the 2016 IPL final where the Hyderabad-based franchise pulled off a nail-biting thriller to clinch their maiden IPL title.

With a vastly experienced bowling line-up, Sunrisers will look for a repeat of 2016 where their bowlers consistently bailed them out of precarious situations and handed them important victories at crucial junctures of the tournament. With the likes of Bhuvneshar Kumar and Ashish Nehra, the team has got some reliable Indian pacers who can provide them with important breakthroughs and also slow the game down when the opposition is going great guns.

Apart from Mustafizur Rahman who is currently playing in a T20I series against Sri Lanka, all others are fit and available and raring to go. With just more than 8 hours to go for the opener of IPL 10 to commence here, we have a look at the Predicted XI of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

 Shikhar Dhawan

The southpaw hasn’t been in the greatest of nicks of late but has the ability to decimate any bowling attack on his given day. He is a free-flowing player and once set is a joy to the eyes. He can play all around the wicket and has the ability to manoeuvre singles and doubles whenever required.

He has been a vital member of the franchise since its inception and will continue to remain one of their best bets up front in the tournament.

The left-hander had a good time with the bat during the 2016 edition where he amassed 501 runs in 17 matches at an impressive average of 38. He was a vital cog with David Warner in the opening slot and was instrumental in their success. In all Dhawan has played 113 IPL matches, scoring 3082 runs at a strike rate of 121.

 David Warner

Now how can you leave out the captain of the team David Warner? He has been an exceptional limited overs player over the years and led his troops to perfection in the previous edition. He was at his sublime best during the tournament and scored as many as 848 runs at a staggering average of 60 and a strike rate of over 150.

He was the standout performer for the defending champions especially up the order and provided his team with the ideal start during important phases of the tournament. He has the ability to smash any bowling attack all round the park and score at a brisk rate.

Before leading SRH, Warner was a part of the Delhi Daredevils outfit but couldn’t realise his potential there. The southpaw has exactly played 100 matches in the tournament so far smashing 2372 runs at a strike rate of 142.

 Deepak Hooda

The talented right-handed batsman hasn’t been in the greatest form but has shown them in patches. In the Ranji Trophy, Hooda smashed a terrific 293 against Punjab in October and followed it up with another century. But his form dipped since that and he will be eager to get back to some run-scoring form in the opening encounter against RCB.

It was during Hooda’s debut IPL season when the right-hander made a name for himself with some lusty blows throughout the tournament. His big hitting prowess came into reckoning and soon he established himself as an important member of the Rajasthan Royals outfit.

His track record hasn’t been in great in IPL with 295 runs in 31 matches but he will surely look to improve on the numbers by the end of the tournament.

 Yuvraj Singh

The southpaw is arguably the cleanest strikers of the ball in world cricket and roared back to form in the recent limited overs series against England. He went on to smash his highest ODI score 151 during the 2nd ODI which paved the way for a series victory for the home team.  He looked the same old Yuvraj and took us down the memory lane.

The left-hander has been a vital member of any IPL side he has played in the tournament so far and it will be no different this time around. Not only he has the ability to smash fours and sixes at will, he also provides the ideal balance in the team with his slow left arm spin. He is also the only bowler to bag two hat-tricks in a single season of the tournament.

In all Yuvi has scored 2335 runs in 108 IPL matches at an impressive strike rate of 130 and has also bagged 35 wickets at an average of 29.

 Ben Cutting

The fight for the all rounder’s spot is bound to get intense as two Aussies Moises Henriques and Ben Cutting are in with an equal shout. While Henriques is a more experienced guy, Cutting, on the other hand, is a more flamboyant batsman and can also give his captain some important overs both in the middle and the death overs.

It was Cutting’s match winning 39* in the final of 2016 which helped Hyderabad lift their maiden IPL title. It is a tough call to choose between the two but in the end, Cutting should get the nod ahead of Henriques in my opinion. Cuttings have played only 5 IPL matches and his 39* in the final remains his highest score. He has also bagged 7 wickets at an impressive average of 18.

 Naman Ojha

A veteran in the domestic and the IPL circuit, Ojha has the capability to smash some really lusty blows but it is due to the presence of a certain MS Dhoni which prevented Ojha from breaking into the national team. He was there in the reckoning on a number of occasions and eventually got to play his first Test against Sri Lanka in 2015 but since then he again faded into oblivion and Parthiv Patel was chosen as the reserve wicket-keeper for the England series.

Ojha was a vital member of the Rajasthan Royals outfit before they were ousted for two years for some corruption issues. Ojha has a safe pair of hands behind the stumps and will look to add some more to his catches kitty once the tournament concludes on 21st May.

 Bipul Sharma

The left-arm tweaker is a possibility in the team given the prowess the southpaw showed with the bat in hand in the previous edition.

He is a frontline left-arm orthodox spinner and knows how to slow the game down. He doesn’t turn the ball much and doesn’t take too many wickets but is always economical and doesn’t go for hammers and tongs.

He has played 26 IPL matches in all and has managed to score as shade over 150 runs and has also bagged 14 wickets at an average of 31.

 Rashid Khan

The Afghan leg-spinner made headlines during the IPL Auction earlier in the year when he was bought at a whopping Rs. 4 crores by the Sunrisers Hyderabad. It was a huge moment for the teenage sensation and he will be looking forward to making his debut in the opening match of the tournament today.

He has been a champion bowler for the Asian minnows and has unsettled opposition batsmen on a consistent basis. Making his debut for Afghanistan in 2015 against Zimbabwe, Rashid has played 26 ODI’s and 24 T20I’s in his brief career so far. In both the formats he has some astounding stats. In ODI’s Rashid has bagged 53 wickets at an average of 16, while in T20I’s he has scalped 40 wickets in T20I’s at an average of 13.

 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The right arm medium pacer was the best bowler for Hyderabad in the previous edition and bowled them to their maiden IPL title. It was a sensational display of swing bowling by Bhuvi with the new ball and later came back strongly to bowl some exceptional death overs which prevented the batsmen from going big. He consistently bowled at the block holes and never allowed the batsmen to get under him.

The Purple cap holder from the previous edition will definitely look for much of the same in today’s match and with the absence of many star players from the RCB rank, it might be the ideal opening match for the defending champions.

 Mohammad Siraj

The nippy fast bowler from Hyderabad was picked up by the franchise for a whopping Rs. 2.6 crores in the auction after a sensational first-class season for Hyderabad. The right arm fast bowler bagged 44 wickets in 11 first-class matches and never looked like playing in his debut season. It will definitely be a life changing moment for Siraj who is a son of an auto driver.

“Today, I remember my first income playing cricket. It was a club match and my maternal uncle was the captain of the team. I got 9 wickets for 20 odd runs in that 25 over game. My uncle was so happy he gave me Rs 500 as a prize. It was a great feeling. But today when the bid was raised to Rs 2.6 crore, I just went numb,” Siraj told TOI after his record-breaking bid.

 Ashish Nehra

The veteran left-arm fast bowler has been in the fray for ages and he has only matured as a bowler over the years. The only player in the tournament to have made his international debut in the 20th century, Nehra continues to provide his captain with the stability in the bowling order. He has the ability to bowl some exceptional overs upfront and put the pressure back on the opposition.

In the recent T20I series against England, Nehra was simply terrific upfront and was instrumental in giving India a come from behind victory in the 2nd match. The left-arm seamer will definitely look for inroads up front for Hyderabad and his combination with Bhuvi might again prove to be deadly for the defending Champions.

In 82 IPL matches, Nehra has scalped 98 wickets at an impressive average of 23.