IPL 2018: 5 players who can guide SRH to the IPL title

Sunrisers Hyderabad look one of the most sorted teams so far in the tournament. Despite their batsmen failing to come to the party, bowlers have compensated for them on numerous occasions to defend scores as low as 118.

The Orange Army currently are at the top of the table and would like to finish the league phase on a high to remain in fray for the top two spots. Therefore, going ahead in the business end of the tournament, it becomes absolutely essential for their batters to start firing as quickly as possible.

With only three matches left after their last night win against Delhi, Hyderabad has sealed a spot in the playoffs. Their campaign has been well led by players who have shown characters at times when the team was down and out.

We take a look at those players who can ride them to their second IPL title:

---

#1 Siddharth Kaul

In one of his most successful stints at IPL, Siddharth Kaul has managed to carve out an image for himself in this IPL season. Having played under the experienced likes of Ashish Nehra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kaul was impressive but his performances with the ball got over-shadowed in the previous years gone by.

The year has been sensational for the Punjab-born lad, who has moved out of the shadows of Kumar, to lead the pace attack in the former’s absence. As a result, he also reaped rewards after he got selected in India’s upcoming tour against England and Ireland. With 13 wickets in 11 games, Siddharth has been the leading wicket-taker for his side in the tournament so far. His slow ball variations and their effective use in the death overs makes him a lethal weapon for any skipper to have in the armory.

#2 Rashid Khan

The young leg-spinner from Afghanistan has grown by leaps and bound, ever since his first burst onto the scene in 2017. His fast action in the air still makes it difficult for the batsmen to judge his variation off his hand. A force in the reckoning in the game’s shortest format, Rashid Khan has given the much-needed impetus to SRH in their spin bowling department.

With 13 wickets in the 11 matches played so far, Rashid is just behind his teammate at Sunrisers, Siddharth Kaul. A mystery for many, who delivers the ball with utmost consistency, there was no surprise when he was bought back by the franchise for a whopping 9 crores in the IPL auction. If Sunrisers dream of their second IPL title this year, then this leg-spin sensation needs to deliver goods with this continued brilliance.

#3 Shakib Al-Hasan

Shakib Al-Hasan is one of the sharpest cricketing brains in a current lot of cricketers. Being the No.1 all-rounder in the world, Shakib is reckoned as one of the best thinkers on the cricket field. He puts much of his brain into the game and with his experience gained over the years, he has become a great reader of the game.

In his first stint for SRH this season, the Bangladesh legend has been instrumental both with bat and the ball. His lower order contributions in the form of those little cameos have proved to be much useful for the team. His brilliance with the ball has once again impressed one and all as the veteran has scalped 12 wickets in the 11 games so far for his team.

#4 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

He has been the most reliable cricketer for this franchise in past couple of years, and the relation was evident when he was retained as the second player after David Warner. One of the best-limited overs bowlers in recent times, Kumar has produced spells on demand. The silent assassin has been successful in going about his business with a lot of ease.

Beginning his career under the leadership of few seniors, Bhuvneshwar is now the leader of the pack. His toe-crushing yorkers in the death and swing bowling at the top make him a worthy player in any T20 side. Though, the King of Swing has underperformed this season, considering he was out for few games pertaining to an injury. With just 8 wickets in seven games for him, one can expect him to return back with his similar accuracy as Sunrisers look to close down the league stage in the top two.

#5 Kane Williamson

If cricket is a gentlemen’s game then Kane Williamson is an epitome of how one can be competitive even in the best spirits of the game. In the absence of someone with a huge influence as David Warner, the onus was on the Kiwi skipper to step up to the occasion as the leader for the Orange Army. It was a huge ask to fill in the shoes for Warner, but Williamson has handled the load of expectations with ease.

He has been sensational with the bat to lead the side with runs in every other game. In the 11 games for SRH this year, Kane has mustered 493 runs at an average of 61 to be the top run-getter for his side. The cool customer at the office has backed his players till the very end to allow them to play their best cricket on the field. With just a few games left before the playoffs begin, Kane would love to eliminate the notable loopholes from the team and try out some faces who have warmed the benches in the entire season.