5 Reasons why Sunrisers Hyderabad are favourites to win IPL 2018

After having lost their captain and one of the best batsman in the history of IPL even before the tournament started, the Sunrisers Hyderabad side have exceeded everyone's expectations. Coach Tom Moody, Mentor VVS Laxman and captain Kane Williamson have all made this SRH unit almost unbeatable and this started at the auction table in January.

Quite fittingly the best side in the tournament have become the first to reach the playoffs and definitely are the front-runners to lift that title on May 27th.

Here are five reasons that confirms why SRH are on course for their second IPL title.

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#1 Good Bowling attack

The Sunrisers have been the best and the only side in this tournament who have consistently defended scores and very low ones.

The surface at Hyderabad has been bowler friendly but they have been able to stifle oppositions at other high scoring venues too. At the Eden Gardens, seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Billy Stanlake picked up 5 wickets between them to restrict KKR for a very low 138-8.

But their real bowling strength was on show at the Wankhede when they bowled out the defending champions Mumbai Indians for only 87 while defending 118.

#2 Never mind defending or chasing scores

Having made the reputation as one of the best T20 teams ever to defend scores in T20s, this SRH side is equally competent to chase down tricky scores.

In a week's time, the Williamson-led side has chased down scores of 164 and 188 against Delhi Daredevils and on both occasions the wicket was not exactly a batting paradise.

The batting unit is coming good when it matters most and that's what is the need of the hour for a successful side.

#3 Captain in great form

More often than not, a team's fortune is based on the skipper's form. Kane Williamson has been in sublime form right through this season and has been the epitome of consistency for the men in orange. Williamson has scored six half-centuries from 11 innings, the most by any player and is 7 runs shy of 500 runs for the season.

With three more matches to go in the league phase and with SRH likely to go deep into the tournament, Williamson is a sure candidate to win the Orange Cap this year.

The way he has adjusted to the conditions in Hyderabad shows his class and has made batting look ridiculously easy on occasions. The way he uses his wrists will make a subcontinent batsman jealous and has proved that run making in T20s is not only about brute power.

#4 Good back up options

When one of their in-form bowler Billy Stanlake was injured, Sunrisers had a back up in Sandeep Sharma and so far he has been terrific with the new ball.

After the injury to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, any side would have panicked because of the lack of options but SRH had Basil Thampi waiting and he delivered too, particularly against Mumbai Indians in that low scoring encounter as he finished with 2-4.

Having qualified already and almost confirmed of a top two finish, they might even try out few other players in order to keep them match fit.

#5 Calm think tank

Rishabh Pant flayed the Sunrisers bowling attack and the Delhi Daredevils carried all the momentum during the break. Any other side would have felt the heat and might have played some suicidal shots while chasing.

I am sure the calm heads in the dressing room would have ensured a clear plan in order to chase down the score. On a tricky track, Dhawan and Williamson put on a show and hardly looked in discomfort during their record partnership.

In a high octane tournament like the IPL, all you need is calm thinking, both on and off the field and that's something Sunrisers Hyderabad have in abundance.