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IPL 2018 is off to a flyer, with the winning return of Chennai Super Kings against the most successful IPL team in Mumbai Indians. On Monday, April 9th, another team would make its return to the Indian Premier League as Rajasthan Royals visit the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium to face Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both teams have been struck hard by the Sandpaper Gate as David Warner and Steve Smith were crucial players for both sides.
The Sunrisers will now be led by Kane Williamson, who was not really expected to have a starting berth with the presence of Warner. But with his year-long suspension, he would be the first name on the sheet. We take a look at the predicted XI for Sunrisers Hyderabad, as this fixture marks the end of the first round of IPL 2018.
#1 Kane Williamson
IPL stats: 15 matches, 411 runs, Avg 31.62
Alex Hales was named as David Warner’s replacement, and he might soon get into the side as the opening batsman, but it’s highly unlikely that he'll get his chance immediately, considering the restrictions on the overseas slots. The captain will need to lead from the front and do a fine job as an opener. He might not be one of the most explosive batsmen in the world, but you get a sense of calmness with him and he could act as the anchor around which the team revolves. If an opener ends up staying for more than half the innings, you are up for a big score, and Williamson can surely fill that role.
#2 Shikhar Dhawan
IPL stats: 127 matches, 3561 runs, Avg 32.67
The next opener, without a doubt, is Shikhar Dhawan. Until last season, he would have been the one to take some time and understand the pace of the game, while Warner had a go and spiced things up. But the roles would get reversed this time, as Dhawan would need to play those explosive shots at the beginning to get the crowd going.
#3 Manish Pandey
IPL stats: 103 matches, 2215 runs, Avg 28.4
Before the auction, apart from the retention of Rashid Khan, it was pretty obvious that Sunrisers would go for a strong Indian middle-order batting option, to reduce the burden off the opening batsman. So, it was no surprise, when they spent big money on Manish Pandey as they bought his services for a whopping INR 11 crore fee. Pandey has had a fine IPL career, which has seen him get into the Indian side, and he will be the perfect #3 for SRH.
#4 Wriddhiman Saha
IPL stats: 104 matches, 1557 runs, Avg 25.52
He’s India’s test wicket-keeper but let’s not forget his IPL exploits as it was his century in the 2014 IPL final that got Kings XI Punjab within touching distance of an elusive IPL trophy. He can act as a strong finisher, or could pace his innings well in case the wickets fell quickly.
#5 Shakib Al Hasan
IPL stats: 43 matches, 498 runs, 43 wickets, Bat Avg 21.65, Bowl Avg 25.6
There are not many better all-rounders in the world of cricket than Shakib Al Hasan, so it was quite a surprise when he just cost Sunrisers a small fee of INR 2 crore. Shakib has been instrumental in previous IPL campaigns for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and his aggressive batting, knack for big innings and left-arm spin bowling provides Hyderabad with a well-rounded option in the middle order.
#6 Deepak Hooda
IPL stats: 41 matches, 373 runs, Avg 14.35
Deepak Hooda has been a mainstay in the Sunrisers Hyderabad lineup, owing to his all-round capabilities. They wouldn’t be looking at a lot from him, apart from a quickfire 15-20 runs and perhaps one or two overs in bowling, which he could easily do. This makes him a handy player for this starting 11.
#7 Mohammad Nabi
The advantage with the Sunrisers squad is that they are not just a strong bowling attack, but are also a solid batting outfit that bats way deep into the tail. The first Afghanistan player in this predicted starting 11 for Hyderabad is Mohammad Nabi. He’s ranked as the 2nd best all-rounder in T20 cricket – he’s an aggressive batsman and an economical bowler, which makes him a must-pick for situations when fast bowlers are going for runs.
#8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
IPL stats: 90 matches, 111 wickets, Avg 21.07
The 2016 and 2017 Purple Cap winner leads the bowling attack for Sunrisers Hyderabad, as his bowling keeps getting better and better, which has positioned him well to spearhead the Indian bowling attack as well. His batting has been one to notice too which would make him a surprise all-rounder option at the #8 position if he could reproduce his batting efforts if the situation demands. He would be looking at retaining the Purple Cap by winning it for the third time in a row.
#9 Rashid Khan
IPL stats: 14 matches, 17 wickets, Avg 21.06
Rashid Khan became the youngest ever player to top the ICC rankings across all formats, surpassing the records set by former great players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Saqlain Mushtaq. He then successfully led Afghanistan towards qualification to the 2019 World Cup as their captain. He’s only 19, but he is already one of the best. The second player from Afghanistan to make this lineup, he had an impressive IPL, with 17 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 6.62. What more could the #1 T20 bowler do in this IPL season?
#10 Siddarth Kaul
IPL stats: 21 matches, 22 wickets, Avg 27.09
Kaul was superb for Sunrisers last year, as he bagged 16 wickets to firmly support Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan in bowling last year. His economy rate (8.41 last season) is an issue but the rate at which he takes wickets offsets that and will be rewarded with a starting berth in the 11.
#11 Basil Thampi
IPL stats: 12 matches, 11 wickets, Avg 38.55
The Emerging Player of IPL 2017, Basil Thampi gets the final spot in our predicted starting 11 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bought for a fee of just INR 95 lakh, he has the potential to be called the bargain buy at the end of the season. Earlier on, we selected him as one of the uncapped players to look at for your Fantasy teams. Sunrisers would look to establish him earlier on in the season, to see if he could fit in nicely, before looking at other options as replacements.
Final Predicted Lineup: Kane Williamson, Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Wriddhiman Saha, Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Nabi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi
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