IPL 2019: 3 underrated players who can help SRH win the trophy

IPL 2019 will commence on 23rd March with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore. The 12th edition promises to be another thrilling season with all 8 teams having well-balanced squads.

Sun Risers Hyderabad will again be one of the top favourites to lift the IPL trophy. Under the guidance of coach Tom Moody and mentor VVS Laxman, SRH have performed exceptionally well. The team won the tournament in 2016 and was runners-up last year.

SRH comprises of quality Indian players – Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda and Bhuvneshwar Kumar amongst others, while they also have prolific foreigners such as Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Rashid Khan in their ranks.

In the auction, they added more depth to their squad and have compensated for the loss Shikhar Dhawan, who was traded with Delhi Capitals. Their season will kick off on 24th March against KKR at Kolkata. On that note, let us look at 3 underrated players who can help SRH in winning the trophy.

Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar is one of three players traded by SRH from Delhi Capitals in exchange of Shikhar Dhawan. Shankar is a batting all-rounder who represents Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket.

The right-hander, who was recently handed the India cap, is in contention for the upcoming World Cup.

He is a product of India A system. Though he rose to prominence during the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy, where he averaged 57.7 with the bat, but the defining moment of his career came during India A tour of New Zealand in 2018 as he scored 188 runs across 3 innings at an average of 94.00, with a strike-rate of 105.03.

His scores included 87* which helped India A to chase down 311 from a precarious position of 158-3, which soon became 159-4.

Shankar bowls in the high 120s and early 130s, and recently helped India to beat Australia by bowling the last over. He is a terrific outfield fielder. Overall, Shankar can add utility to the SRH lineup and could be of the underrated players to make a mark for the men in orange.

Mohammed Nabi

Mohammed Nabi

SRH have retained the services of Mohammed Nabi for the 2019 season. Nabi is a seasoned T20 player, who has represented several franchises across the globe. The Afghanistan veteran is likely to slot in at number 5 or 6 and will be expected to play the role of the finisher.

In the 2018-19 Big Bash, Nabi played a vital role in Melbourne Renegades' victorious campaign. With the bat he amassed 228 runs and while bowling, he picked up 8 wickets in 14 matches.

Also, several times, Nabi has been entrusted with the new ball, especially if the opposing team have a left-handed opener. He is an economical bowler and looks to ball within the stumps to deprive the batsman of any room. In 62 T20Is for Afghanistan, he has an economy rate of just 7.18.

With a wealth of his experience on his side, Nabi will play an instrumental role in SRH’s campaign and will hope to help them win their second title.

Billy Stanlake

Billy Stanlake

SRH, who are renowned as a bowling team, have two of the world’s best limited-overs bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan. They also boast of some fine domestic talents in the bowling department in the form of T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma and Khaleel Ahmed amongst others. But it could be the lean, tall, sturdy and robust Queensland pacer Billy Stanlake, who could trouble the batsmen the most.

The 6ft 8in bowls in mid the 140s and gains steep bounce from any wicket. He could particularly be deployed against the uncapped Indian batsmen, who are not accustomed to facing much pace and bounce in domestic cricket.

Though he can be a tad expensive, Stanlake has the tendency to pick up wickets. In the17 T20s he has played for Australia, Stanlake has 25 wickets. His best returns - 8/4 - came against Pakistan where he ripped through Pakistan's top-order in a hostile spell.