3 forgotten SRH players who played a role in their success

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) replaced the Deccan Chargers in 2013 in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They have been amongst the most consistent teams in the elite T20 competition - 75 wins and 77 losses in 10 seasons.

They won the IPL in 2016, defeating RCB in the final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. They made it to the playoffs for the next four consecutive seasons and established themselves as a force to reckon with in the competition.

SRH recently appointed Aiden Markram as the captain of the franchise after releasing New Zealand's Kane Williamson. Here's a look at three understated players from their successful years in the IPL.

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#1 Jonny Bairstow

England wicketkeeper and batter Jonny Bairstow has been one of the best T20 batters in the world over the past five years. He has scored 1038 runs in the 28 matches he played in the three seasons for SRH - averaging 42 and scoring over 8.5 runs per over.

He made his IPL debut for the Sunrisers in 2019. His role was pivotal in SRH making it to the top 4 that season - 445 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 157. His opening partnership with Warner was extremely destructive, particularly in the game against RCB at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

Over the next couple of seasons, Bairstow performed well whenever he got an opportunity. There was often a selection debate on who to select as the fourth overseas player between him and Williamson. However, he was released ahead of the mega auction in 2022 and currently plays for the Punjab Kings.

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#2 Sandeep Sharma

Right-arm medium pacer Sandeep Sharma has been among the best Indian pacers in the IPL. We primarily remember him for his exploits with the Punjab Kings. However, he is SRH's 4th highest-wicket taker of all time after Bhuvneshwar Kumar (130), Rashid Khan (95), and Siddarth Kaul (52).

Sharma has picked up 41 wickets in 43 matches at an average of 31 and an economy rate of 7.78. He was a high utility bowler in the first six overs of the game, often dismantling big names in the top order, such as Virat Kohli.

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#3 Yuvraj Singh

While Yuvraj Singh did not have the most impactful IPL career, he won his first trophy of the tournament with SRH. He has represented the franchise in 22 matches and has scored 488 runs at an average of 27 and a strike rate of 137.

He played an extremely crucial innings in the 2016 final. He walked out to bat at number 4 and scored a quick-fire 38 off just 23 balls. This allowed Warner to play freely and set up a huge total on the board for RCB. Apart from this knock, he had a few more notable cameos for SRH.