The race to the playoffs this Indian Premier League (IPL) season has been one of the most thrilling ones with six teams having the possibility of making it to the final four spots until the very last matchday.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore had a late surge of form to make it to the playoff stages. However, one of the most consistent sides this IPL has been the David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad who have surprised many people with their performances.
Having lost their first two games, it might have all seemed like a similar story for the Orange Army. But, the captain Warner was able to rally his troops and help put in inspired performances to finish third in the table.
Here we take a look at five reasons why they have flourished this season:
#1 – Consistency at the top
If there is one thing evident from the performances of the Sunrisers, it is their top-order batting. Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner are one of the most, if not the most, prolific batting pairs in the IPL. Sunrisers are the only team, other than Kolkata Knight Riders, to have played all their matches with the same opening pair.
Dhawan and Warner have scored 1121 runs in all this IPL, which is 55% of the total number of runs scored by SRH. The openers’ batting prowess has masked the failure of much of the middle-order batting of the Sunrisers.
The duo was also involved in the second highest first-wicket partnership this IPL when they thrashed table-toppers, Gujarat Lions by 10 wickets after putting in an unbeaten 137-run partnership. The two complement each other with Dhawan usually playing the anchor role, thus allowing Warner to cut loose and play his shots.
#2 – Strong bowling unit
Sunrisers Hyderabad have one of the strongest bowling lineups in the IPL, with top-quality fast bowlers in their ranks. Their recruitment of Mustafizur Rahman during the IPL auctions might well turn out to be the best signing of the season.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mustafizur Rahman, Barinder Sran, and Ashish Nehra have been the mainstay of the Sunrisers’ bowling lineup. The four seamers have 55 wickets between them with Bhuvneshwar and Mustaifzur in the running for the purple cap having picked up 18 and 16 wickets respectively.
Despite having a below-par season, Moises Henriques also contributed with the ball picking up ten wickets. Nehra missed out on the start of the season owing to injury and will miss the remainder of the tournament too. Although missing Nehra's experience will be a blow to SRH, they do have the bowling firepower to go all the way.
#3 – Inspirational captaincy from Warner
David Warner has been in phenomenal form in T20s this year, scoring over 800 runs at an average of above 40. He has been the most consistent player for SRH with the bat, leading his side from the front and setting the right platform for a win.
In 14 innings, Warner scored 658 runs at an impressive average of 54.83 and a phenomenal strike rate of just over 150. Warner's numbers might be marred by the fact that a certain Virat Kohli is in the form of his life. The Australian is second behind Kohli in the run-getters list.
Warner is the only batsman to have scored seven or more 50-plus knocks in a single season of the IPL. His consistent knocks have been invaluable to SRH's batting success this IPL. The 29-year-old has also been instrumental in making the best of his bowling resources and will be hoping to lead his side to their first IPL title.
#4 – Experienced coaching staff
The thinktank of the Sunrisers Hyderabad also has to be attributed some of the success this IPL season. With Tom Moody, VVS Laxman, and Muttiah Muralitharan at the helm, there is an experience of 799 international matches between the former cricketers.
Moody, who is the head coach, had coached Sri Lanka to the ICC World Cup Final in 2007. With Muralitharan as the bowling coach, the SRH bowlers have one of the best ever spinners to have played the game to guide them and help them handle the pressure.
Laxman's role as a mentor also has been beneficial to the players as the former Indian batsman has immense knowledge about the game, especially in the sub-continent conditions.
#5 – Yuvraj Singh's return to form
Yuvraj Singh has played for three different franchises in the last three seasons of the IPL. It probably could be an indication of how highly rated he is at the start of an IPL season. However, the veteran all-rounder has disappointed for his respective teams during the last two tournaments.
Missing out on the first month of the IPL, Yuvraj Singh came back into the SRH side in the month of May. His overall numbers might not look very impressive with 146 runs being scored in 7 matches at an average of 24.33 and a strike rate of just under 30.
Having said that, it has to be noted that in the last few games of the league stages, the 34-year-old has been striking the ball more cleanly than what he did since his return to the Indian T20I squad. A couple of knocks by Yuvraj were crucial in SRH's journey to the playoffs. He has proved time and again that he cannot be written off completely yet.
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