With the Premier Badminton League (PBL) just days away from kick-off, it is the perfect time to have an in-depth look at the teams. Armed with the presence of the former World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, the Hyderabad Hunters will be gunning for the 2016 PBL title. The team has a healthy mix of youth and experience that can bring them glory.
Will they be successful in their attempt? We look at their chances through a SWOT (Strength-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis:
Strengths
True to their name, the Hyderabad Hunters look good enough to hunt down the PBL trophy. The team comprises Lee Chong Wei, Parupalli Kashyap, Siril Varma, Supanida K, K Nandagopal, Markis Kido, Carsten Mogensen, Jwala Gutta and Meghana Jakkampudi.
Lee is an asset to any squad he is on. The Malaysian will not only be valuable for his performances but can also inspire all his teammates to play their hearts out. His presence itself is a big weapon which gives the Hunters an added advantage.
The two-time Olympic silver medallist is coming into this event after a brilliant end-of-season that saw him capture back-to-back Superseries titles at the French Open, China Open and the Hong Kong Open. Needless to say, that makes him menacing.
He will have ample support from one of India’s best shuttlers – Parupalli Kashyap, who won the India Open Grand Prix Gold this year and is a former World No. 6 whose services will be indispensable to the team.
Also on the team are veteran doubles duo Jwala Gutta and Carsten Mogensen. The Dane is a former World No. 1 whose illustrious resume boasts an Olympic silver medal, besides a silver and a bronze at the World Championships. He also captured the All England Open this year with his partner, Mathias Boe, who is representing the Mumbai Rockets at the League.
Gutta is a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a bronze medal winner at the World Championships, and her skills will be pivotal to the franchise’s overall success. Indonesia’s Markis Kido is also a former top-ranked doubles player and an Olympic champion whose expertise will definitely come in handy.
The Hunters have a talented crop of youngsters in Siril Varma and Supanida K.
Varma put up a brilliant performance at the World Junior Championships this year en route to winning a silver medal, while Supanida has clinched the Sri Lanka International Challenge in 2015.
Homegrown doubles players K Nandagopal and Meghana Jakkampudi can also contribute when necessary.
Weaknesses
Despite the team looking apparently formidable, the Hunters do have a few weaknesses. The PBL is Indian star Parupalli Kashyap’s first event since recuperating from a torn muscle that he suffered at the French Open in October. This could be a reason the Commonwealth Games gold medallist might take some time to regain his lost touch.
Kashyap’s return to form is imperative since the PBL format calls for two men’s singles matches.
Siril Varma is the third men’s singles player for the Hyderabad team. Even though he dazzled at the World Junior Championships, he is still only 16 years old. His lack of experience may make him vulnerable against stronger and more experienced opponents.
The women’s singles is another area of concern. Much like Varma, Thai shuttler Supanida is also a rookie and the 18-year-old would have to put in a massive effort to try and secure a win against much higher-ranked opponents.
Opportunities
Hyderabad is a hotbed of Indian badminton. The city’s premier Gopichand Badminton Academy has churned out champion after champion, among them the Hunters’ very own Parupalli Kashyap. Doubles exponent Jwala Gutta also hails from the city.
It is thus no surprise that the Hunters will have the unwavering support of Hyderabad’s countless badminton lovers. It will be a great motivator for the Hyderabad Hunters players, and the vociferous cheers will surely help the players during pressure situations.
The League will also give players an opportunity to gauge their own performances ahead of a crucial season, one that leads to the Rio Olympics. With the qualification period open till May, each member of the team will be upbeat to give their very best to position themselves strongly ahead of the qualifiers.
Threats
A careful selection of the Trump Match is of utmost importance. A loss in this contest might prove to be detrimental to the team’s title aspirations as a defeat here results in a negative point.
According to PBL rules, the same player cannot be put in a Trump Match more than twice in the league stage, so teams will have to be careful about their selections going into the league.
The team also need to be wary of the Awadhe Warriors and Chennai Smashers as the teams feature two of the biggest Indian superstars in the women’s singles category – Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu respectively.
It will be a challenging task for the young Supanida to upend the likes of Nehwal and Sindhu and she will need to be on her toes right from the first point.
