IPL 2019: Top 5 wicket-takers for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL history

After the Deccan Chargers (DC) were terminated in 2012, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) entered the IPL fray in 2013 and have done consistently well. In their first year (2013), they made it to the playoffs but couldn’t make it to the top four in the two subsequent editions.

However, since 2016, they’ve been extremely consistent. They won the 2016 edition, made it to the playoffs in 2017 and were the runners-up last year. And most of this success has been built around a strong bowling group. SRH have always been a bowling-heavy side with their bowlers fashioning a number of victories.

As we look back at the last 11 seasons (seven in SRH’s case), let’s take a look at the top five wicket-takers for Sunrisers in the history of the IPL.

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#5 Dale Steyn – 33 wickets

Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn might’ve last played in the IPL back in 2016 where he featured in just one game for Gujarat Lions, but he was a regular IPL player until 2015. He was a regular member of the XI in every team he played for.

He started off with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) before he moved to Deccan Chargers. Since 2013, when the Deccan Chargers were terminated and Sunrisers took over, Steyn has been a part of the squad for three years.

For SRH, he has taken 33 wickets and has an economy of 6.90. Across three seasons, Steyn played 37 games and was a vital part of SRH’s plans. He took 30 wickets across 2013 and 2014 but could take only three wickets in six innings in 2015. However, with 33 wickets Steyn is fifth on the list of highest wicket-takers for SRH.

#4 Karn Sharma – 36 wickets

Karn Sharma

A lot of people associate Karn Sharma with the Sunrisers Hyderabad for his performances between 2013 and 2016. However, he made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) back in 2009, playing just one game.

The 2014 auctions not only made him the third cricketer from Uttar Pradesh to play in the IPL but also the most expensive domestic player of that season (2014) when he was bought by SRH.

He had represented the same franchise in 2013, picking up 11 wickets in 13 games. But it was the 2014 season that helped him earn an India spot. He picked up 15 wickets in the season with his controlled leg-spin. However, since 2015, Karn Sharma’s career has gone downhill. He played for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2017 and represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2018.

However, a couple of good seasons means he is fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers for SRH with 36 wickets.

#3 Siddarth Kaul - 37 wickets

Siddarth Kaul

Siddarth Kaul has made a name for himself as a T20 specialist playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the last couple of seasons. After a couple of unsuccessful years (2013 and 2014), Kaul had a three-year break from the IPL before he was bought by SRH in 2017.

The Punjab pacer has been excellent for the Hyderabad-based franchise. He has picked up 37 wickets across two seasons and has formed a lethal combination with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Kaul has been very good at the death, and has become a very reliable customer.

In SRH’s run to the final in 2018, he took 21 wickets and was in the hunt for the purple cap all the time. In the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was in and out of the side with an injury, he bowled beautifully and became the lead bowler.

With 37 wickets, he is the third highest wicket-taker for SRH in the history of the IPL.

#2 Rashid Khan – 38 wickets

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has become a superstar in a very short span of time. He has become the leading bowler in T20 cricket and is one of the most sought-after cricketers in T20 leagues across the globe. He is currently the No. 1 ranked T20I bowler and has set the world on fire. The 20-year-old Afghan superstar is one of the best limited-overs bowlers in the world at the moment.

For Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he has been phenomenal. He was bought for INR 4 crore in the 2017 IPL auctions and has set the IPL ablaze since then. In just two seasons, he has become the second highest wicket-taker for SRH.

The Afghanistan leg-spinner took 17 and 21 wickets in the 2017 and 2018 seasons respectively. He’s been one of the key reasons to SRH’s success over the last couple of seasons.

With 38 wickets, he lies in the second spot on the list of most wickets for SRH in the history of the IPL.

#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 96 wickets

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

IPL has been one of the reasons for Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s resurgence in the last few years. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he has become the lead bowler and taken responsibility of guiding the younger bowlers in the side.

Before his stint with SRH, he was deemed a new-ball specialist and his skills at the death were not known. But with him being the leader of the pack at SRH, he has developed excellent death bowling skills, adding to his vast skillset with the new ball.

He picked up 38 wickets in two seasons (2014 and 2015) before he won the Purple Cap twice in a row (2016 and 2017). In those two seasons, the Meerut pacer took 49 wickets. However, fitness issues prevented him from taking the field regularly in the 2018 season. But he still remains the highest wicket-taker for SRH with 96 wickets and is well on course to becoming the first man to pick 100 IPL wickets for SRH.

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