IPL 10 Playoffs – SWOT Analysis of Sunrisers Hyderabad

The defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad have had a decent time in the Indian Premier League this season. They were the team to beat in the previous edition of the tournament and had started on the same note this season. With a convincing win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener, they had announced their arrival for the title defense.

Since then, they have had a topsy-turvy ride though. They managed to win the first few games of the season and then saw a sudden sway in their fortunes. It was seeming to get tougher for them but the team got back to winning ways at the right time. Towards the end, they found themselves stranded on 13 points for a long time. They had to strive very hard to get two more wins in their bid to qualify for the playoffs.

Their last league game, against the Gujarat Lions, was a must win game for them in the season. Only a win would have seen them in the playoffs. The Sunrisers Hyderabad were at their peak best in the game. Led by a stunning partnership from David Warner and Vijay Shankar, they managed to beat the Lions by 8 wickets to storm into the playoffs.

Strengths

Strong bowling lineup

The Sunrisers have traditionally been known as the best bowling unit. They have had their openers firing in all cylinders in the tournament history. But on most occasions, it has been their bowlers who have risen to the big crunch games. They are arguably the only side that has successfully managed to defend low totals. Last year, they had the services of Mustafizur Rahman in the bowling department, who was spectacular with his work.

This year, the team has unearth another solid player in Rashid Khan. The young leg spinner has taken the tournament by storm with his splendid bowling spells. Rashid has bagged 17 wickets this season in just 13 matches with a best of 3/19 to his name.

In the pace department, they have the current Purple Cap holder, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He has a five-wicket haul to his name and that shows how good he has been with the ball when it comes to wicket-taking. He has been very well supported by the young guns Siddarth Kaul and Mohammad Siraj. Kaul, in particular, has been amazing with his death overs.

In-form openers

The Sunrisers Hyderabad openers need no introduction. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan sit comfortably at the top of the Orange Cap contenders this season. Warner leads the charts of run scoring this season with 604 runs to his name in 13 matches at an average close to 61.

He has 4 fifties and a century to his name which is a testimony of how good he has been. He has a country mile lead in the Orange Cap list. Interestingly, he is followed by his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan in the list. Dhawan has amassed 468 runs in 13 matches with 3 fifties to his name this season. Needless to say, they will hold the key to SRH’s chances in the playoffs.

Weaknesses

Inconsistent middle-order

The middle-order of the Sunrisers has chipped in with runs but has not been the most consistent one. Kane Williamson arrived in fine fashion but has not quite been able to replicate the heroics in the matches that followed. Yuvraj Singh has not been in the very best of forms too and has been disturbed by the injury concerns too. Moises Henriques, despite having 3 fifties to his name this season, has not given the assurance to the team that would see them in a happy spot.

Over-reliance on openers

This has been the story of the defending champions since the previous edition of the tournament. Last year, when Sunrisers Hyderabad had won the IPL trophy, David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan’s cumulative total of 1349 runs was very instrumental for their run in the season. Even this year, the top two scorers in the list of leading run-getters of the season are these two men at the SRH opening slot. In case, one of these two batsmen fail or perhaps both for that matter, the team can find themselves on a shaky ground.

Opportunities

The young bowlers of the Sunrisers camp have a very good opportunity to prove their mettle in the crunch games. Mohammad Siraj and Siddarth Kaul have a lot to learn from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. They will be keen on picking up his brains in the knockout fixtures. Also, the opportunity beckons for Rashid Khan to be a part of a knockout game of a tournament such as the IPL.

The other youngsters in the lineup, such as Vijay Shankar, if given an opportunity again, can show that they are not one match wonders. They will try to stamp their authority in the tournament. Veteran batsmen such as Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, and Yuvraj Singh would want to strike good form as it will not only help them in the IPL but also in the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy.

Threats

The Sunrisers Hyderabad will only be under one threat – that is a batting collapse if their skipper has an off day at office. As stated earlier, they have been relying heavily on the services of their openers – David Warner in particular. Also, the team has not been very comfortable in the games they have batted first. On most occasions, they have preferred chasing. It is interesting to see that their match against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator. The Knight Riders are known for their chasing prowess too.