Sunrisers Hyderabad made a dramatic entry into the final of IPL 2016 on Friday after winning both their playoff games against Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Lions. They have now set up a clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
While Royal Challengers Bangalore have hogged all the limelight this season thanks to their charismatic captain, Virat Kohli, the Hyderabad team has done admirably well to make it to the final without attracting much attention. And after their performances in the eliminator and the qualifier, where they trumped two really formidable sides, they’ve shown that there is no good reason why they can’t lift the trophy.
While the Kohli-led team might enter the final on Sunday as favorites, Warner’s side are well capable of raining on their parade.
Here are the 5 reasons why Sunrisers Hyderabad can stun Royal Challengers in the final of IPL 2016.
#1 David Warner – The one man army
Like many times this season, David Warner’s spectacular run with the bat has gone largely unnoticed, thanks to Virat Kohli’s inhuman exploits. However, the destructive opener would hardly mind that as long as he keeps on playing match winning knocks like the one he played against Gujarat Lions to steer his team to a victory, which at one point looked extremely difficult.
After being pushed down the batting order in the World T20, Warner has reveled in the role of an opener. He has got Hyderabad off to a flier on several occasions along with his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan and when the challenge came to finish the game against Gujarat in the 2nd Qualifier, Warner was up to it again by finishing with 93* in a chase of 163.
The IPL final also presents Warner with the opportunity to prove a point to Cricket Australia, who have time and again overlooked Warner as a serious contender for the captaincy of the national side despite a stellar record in all formats.
#2 Superior Bowling attack
If any team can claim to have an attack that can choke the life out of Bangalore’s mighty batting attack, it is the Sunrisers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar looks a different bowler altogether every time he dons the orange and black jersey of Sunrisers Hyderabad. While the bowler has made it a habit to get his team wickets up front, what’s impressive is the role of the death bowler that he has assumed this season for his captain. And if history is anything to go by, the innocuous looking seamer has always had the better of Chris Gayle.While Bhuvi will miss Ashish Nehra, who has been ruled out of IPL following an injury, he will still have either Mustafizur ‘Fizz’ Rehman or Trent Boult for company, who, though very different bowlers, are very effective in their own right. Moises Henriques and Barinder Sran have come good too. The SRH bowling attack has defended small scores throughout the tournament, showing that they can handle pressure well.
#3 A more balanced side
Although stats might make you believe that the team is riding merely on the performances of Warner and Bhuvi, it isn’t so and others too have stepped up when needed. While Moises Henriques might still have a long way to go to match fellow Australian Shane Watson’s all-round abilities, he has coach Tom Moody’s and David Warner’s faith. Henriques, with Yuvraj Singh, are two useful all-rounders that Sunrisers possess who bring a lot of stability to the unit.
Besides, except for the match against Delhi Daredevils and a few blips here and there, Sunrisers have looked a very tight fielding unit that has quietly helped the bowling attack to contain the opposition batsmen. In all, Hyderabad look to be a more balanced team than Bangalore.
#4 No added pressure of the ‘Favorites’ tag
At the auctions, the Hyderabad management had succeeded in assembling a team high on effectiveness but low on star value, much like its mentor VVS Laxman. And that has worked like a charm for the Sun TV owned franchise till now as they’ve managed to be in the news for cricketing reasons only.
And it promises to work even better in the final where the limelight promises to be on the big names of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, and it will provide the Sunrisers players to deliver without the added pressure.
#5 Momentum
Sunrisers faced Kolkata on Wednesday and Gujarat just after a day’s break on Friday. In both the matches, they looked done and dusted at one point and yet climbed out of the hole to emerge victorious.
The fact that this battle hardened unit will go into their third match in five days makes them very very potent. Such tight schedules can get the teams to punch above their weights in crucial matches as they remain switched on as a unit. Maybe, on the back of this momentum, they can sweep aside RCB as well to make it three out of three.
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