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#6 Sunrisers Hyderabad
One of the biggest surprises of IPL 2021 was the woefulness of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s campaign. Their batters huffed and puffed on the sluggish surfaces at Chennai and though there was some slight respite at Delhi, they were still well off the pace.
From that perspective alone, SRH would hope that a change in venue (3 games at Dubai and 2 at Sharjah) brings about an alteration in luck. The only problem, though, is that they have to do so without Jonny Bairstow and with a middle order that seems as porous as ceramic.
Moreover, there seems to be a power struggle at the franchise – something that began when David Warner said he wasn’t consulted on Manish Pandey’s exclusion and one that assumed alarming proportions when Warner was sacked mid-way through the season and dropped from the XI altogether.
Thus, SRH are a side in turmoil and there are no two ways about it. Fortunately, they still have capable match-winners at their disposal, meaning that they might not be as abysmal as they were in the first leg of IPL 2021. Yet, with them having dug an almighty grave for themselves, they might find it tough to make the IPL play-offs too.
When speaking about individual quality, none of SRH’s players create as much of a splash as Rashid Khan. The leg-spinner has been bowling superbly and a lot could rest on the Afghan. Similarly, Bhuvneshwar Kumar would want to put together an injury-free IPL campaign, whereas T Natarajan would want to show India what they are missing.
Kane Williamson, especially in Bairstow’s absence, might morph into the batting lynchpin, while there could also be an unlikely recall for Warner. However, it would be a stretch to ask the duo to win SRH consecutive matches because, well, they effectively need to win all their remaining IPL fixtures to stand a chance of making the top four.
In an ideal world, SRH would’ve wanted Warner and Williamson at the top of the order and an adaptable finisher to round off the batting unit. But Kedar Jadhav and Vijay Shankar, who aren’t the finishers SRH would’ve crafted in their fantasy world but are the finishers they have, might find those boots too big to fill.
Hence, there isn’t a lot to suggest that SRH would turn things around drastically in the second leg of the IPL. Yet, they might still have a bit left in their tank to spoil the party of those around them and of course, get off the foot of the table.
#5 Rajasthan Royals
During IPL 2021’s first leg, the Rajasthan Royals looked a side capable of rattling the odd cage. To an extent, they even did so and hauled themselves up to fifth spot, largely riding on the brilliance of Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson.
Interestingly enough, for a team that was already missing Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, they’ve somehow been dented further in the resumption leg of the IPL, with Buttler not available. Samson has also not played a lot of cricket since a wretched tour to Sri Lanka, whereas Rahul Tewatia and Shivam Dube haven’t played any sort of cricket since the IPL was suspended.
Their bowling, especially in Archer’s absence also lacked the requisite oomph to trouble IPL batting units, while their spin department, which might assume greater importance in the UAE, didn’t seem to possess as much wicket-taking potential in the first leg.
However, the Royals, unlike a lot of other IPL outfits, have used the off-season to plug a few holes, meaning that they have, despite the non-availability of several key players, might have a more well-rounded and in-form team than they did in April/May.
Tabraiz Shamsi – the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world – has entered the fray and should add a bit more incision in the middle overs, whereas Mustafizur Rahman, who has been stunning lately, should be able to thwart the opposition batters at the death.
Glenn Phillips, meanwhile, could act as the belligerent option the Royals crave in the middle order – a role that he has performed for New Zealand and more recently, the Barbados Royals. Evin Lewis has also been in sparkling touch for the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and the Royals might be tempted to unleash the left-hander in the remainder of the IPL.
The biggest positive, however, could be the inclusion of one Liam Livingstone, who is arguably the most destructive T20 batter at present. Not only has the Englishman batted in a variety of positions for England and the Birmingham Phoenix, he has done so with distinction, meaning that the Royals might not miss Buttler and Stokes as much during the resumption leg of the IPL.
Having said that, there is a slight caveat attached to the Royals’ fortune simply because they’ve not played together as a team previously. Though that might not matter in the short-term, it could just be the factor that pulls them down towards the fag end of the IPL.
Nevertheless, the Royals may just be the most exciting team to watch in this leg of the IPL.
#4 Mumbai Indians
Over the past couple of IPL seasons, no outfit has been as dominant as the Mumbai Indians. They’ve pulled victories out of the fire and have been pretty invincible. However, at the start of IPL 2021, the defending champions portrayed a few frailties plenty felt didn’t exist.
While it could be attributed to the attritional tracks at Chennai, the batting, especially with Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma not firing, seemed to lack the usual firepower. That, though, might not count for a lot, considering Mumbai play 4 of their remaining 7 matches on truer pitches (2 apiece at Dubai and Sharjah).
Additionally, if batters of the ilk of de Kock, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav get going, there isn’t a lot the opposition can do anyway. And the same rings true for Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult.
Having said that, Mumbai might have to counter a bit of fatigue, considering most of their A-listed cricketers have played a lot of cricket lately. Bumrah, Rohit and Suryakumar, at the time of writing, are yet to come out of their hard quarantine post the England tour, whereas de Kock and Pollard will be arriving just days prior to their fixture against the Chennai Super Kings on 19th September.
There might also be a temptation to rest Bumrah a tad, especially with a T20 World Cup on the horizon, meaning that Mumbai might pick and choose their moments to deploy their strongest eleven.
Can MI make it three IPL titles in a row?
With the quality in their ranks, though, qualification might not be as much of an issue and perhaps Mumbai could approach this IPL leg in that manner too. They might want to solidify their place in the top four before experimenting and keeping their players fresh for the final assault on the IPL crown.
In the process, they might not be able to scale the dizzying heights the IPL fraternity has become accustomed to. That, however, doesn’t mean that they’ll be weaker than most other IPL sides.
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