IPL 2018: 3 reasons why Sunrisers Hyderabad don't have the best bowling attack in the tournament anymore

Sunrisers Hyderabad ended the league stage at the top of the table and much of the team’s success was dependent on a bowling attacking that performer brilliantly. They restricted teams to below par scores at the beginning and then after a slight hiccup, they became one of the greatest bowling attacks in IPL history.

The defence of 118 at Mumbai was perhaps their best performance and for most of the tournament, it became an accepted fact that SRH possessed the best bowling attack in the tournament. However, that particular assertion is perhaps no longer true if the SRH bowling attack’s performances in their last four league games are to be looked at.

They conceded 187 to Delhi Daredevils, then Chennai Super Kings chased down 180 in 19 overs with the loss of two wickets, Royal Challengers Bangalore hit them for 218 and in their last game at home, Kolkata Knight Riders chased down 172 with ease

So has their bowling attack been worked out by the opposition or is there an inherent problem with it? Here are some reasons why they might not be the best bowling attack in the IPL anymore.

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#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not delivered to his abilities

It was thought that the absence of their pace spearhead was going to significantly affect SRH but those fears turned out to be unfounded as Sandeep Sharma bowled brilliantly in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s absence.

However, since the latter made his way back into the team, he has still not been at his absolute best. He was known for being a bowler who is not only frugal but a wicket-taking threat and he has floundered on both fronts.

A meagre return of only 2 wickets in the five games that he has played since his return is a worrying statistic for the SRH management and in addition to that, he has also been taken apart by batsmen with ease.

Rishabh Pant’s assault in Delhi is a case in point and the way CSK’s opening batsmen smashed him around at Pune is a clear indication that his bowling form is not quite at the desired level. If he fails to regain his form and gets taken to the cleaners by the same players today, then Sunrisers might find it tough to win the first qualifier.

#2 Siddarth Kaul’s decline

Siddarth Kaul

For much of their campaign, fast bowler Siddarth Kaul was the joker in the pack for Kane Williamson. He could bowl in the middle overs, he could be brought on if a partnership was developing and his death bowling was often as good as the best in the tournament.

On top of that, Kaul could generate genuine pace off a short run up and that often made him a deceptive bowler. His accuracy and the usage of the yorker, as well as the knuckleball, made him a difficult bowler to hit against.

However, all that seems to have changed in the recent past and in the recent games, Kaul’s bowling seems to have been worked out by opposition teams. The control that he brought to the table seems to have been lost and although he did relatively well against KKR in the previous game, he took only 2 wickets (2 in one game) in the previous 3.

Additionally, he was hit for 44, 40 and 48 in those games (most recent first). He is a vital cog in Kane Williamson's squad and the fact that Kaul is no longer appears to be a potent weapon has severely affected the strength of the SRH bowling attack.

#1 Teams have worked out how to negotiate Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan

The Afghan is the world’s best spin bowler as far as T20 cricket is concerned and even in this season’s IPL, Rashid Khan wrecked havoc on the opposition after a slight dip in form. He made some alterations to his length and was back as the lethal spinner that everyone is accustomed to seeing.

It is demonstrably hard to score against him and when batsmen try to attack, they almost always end up giving away their wicket.

Hence, over the past few games, the batting sides have instead decided to play out Rashid’s overs and gone hammer and tongs at the other SRH bowlers. In these last four games, he picked up 3 wickets in the game against RCB (they still made 218) and in the other three he did not pick up any wickets.

When Rashid Khan fails to take wickets, then it is a problem for his side and it was SRH’s ability to take wickets that made them such a dangerous bowling attack. Now, the teams are refusing to attack their best bowler and piling the pressure on the others.

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