IPL 2020: 3 players from Sunrisers Hyderabad who could be popular fantasy picks

Sunrisers Hyderabad have emerged as a force to reckon with in the Indian Premier League (IPL) even though they only made their debut in 2013. They made it to the playoffs in their debut season itself, and after a couple of disappointing seasons, re-emerged as surprise champions in 2016.

One of the key reasons behind SRH’s impressive run has been the consistency in their performances, which again has got to do with how well-knit a unit they are. Also, Sunrisers Hyderabad have mostly stuck to a group of tried and tested performers, and have reaped the rewards for it. They made it to their second finals in 2018, but were completely blown away by a Shane Watson blinder.

SRH consists of a fine mix of players, from swashbuckling to serene. A few of them should consistently find their way to fantasy leagues. Here, we pick three.

1. David Warner

David Warner

The big-hitting Aussie opener is an absolute legend in the IPL. Starting with 2014, he has scored 500-plus runs in every edition of the tournament. Few players can boast of such an impressive record in any T20 league.

David Warner led from the front for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 when he totalled 848 runs in 17 matches at an average of 60.57, and a blistering strike-rate of 151.42. Warner hit an amazing nine half-centuries in the edition.

There is something about the IPL that seems to bring out the absolute best in Warner. Having missed the 2018 edition owing to his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal, Warner roared back with 692 runs in 12 games last year. His run-scoring penchant, combined with his big-hitting abilities, make Warner a fantasy must-pick.

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2. Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey

The talented Manish Pandey has been on the IPL scene ever since the tournament began in 2008. Pandey has to his name the distinction of being the first Indian to score a century in the IPL.

The current Karnataka captain blazed his way to an unbeaten 114 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Deccan Chargers in IPL 2009. He was the man of the match in the 2014 IPL final, with a dazzling 94 from 50 balls as Kolkata Knight Riders chased down 200 against Kings XI Punjab.

Pandey even hit a famous match-winning ODI century against Australia in Australia in 2016. Despite these fantastic feats, he hasn’t quite reached the heights he is capable of. An unorthodox stroke maker, Pandey can cut to pieces the best of T20 attacks on his day.

Of late, he has been consistently performing well for India lower down the order in T20Is, and played crucial knocks during the tour of New Zealand earlier this year.

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3. Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow

Although England’s dangerous stroke-maker Jonny Bairstow made his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad only last year, he had such a sensational season that there would be high hopes of him this year as well.

The opening pair of Warner and Bairstow smashed several records last year. Most notably, they became the first pair in IPL history to feature in three consecutive century partnerships.

Before heading back to England, Bairstow featured in 10 games last season, and contributed a fantastic tally of 445 runs in 10 games, at a strike rate of 157.24 and an average of 55.62.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was particularly lethal in a contest against Royal Challengers Bangalore when he blasted 114 from 56 balls with the aid of 12 fours and seven sixes. Bairstow will be keen to take IPL by storm once again.