Sunrisers Hyderabad predicted XI for IPL 2021

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had a decent campaign in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). They shrugged off a slow start to make the playoffs, eventually bowing out after losing to the Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2.

In the 2021 IPL auction, SRH were one of the quietest teams and didn't bid for too many players. Team mentor VVS Laxman later revealed that they were targeting off-spinning all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Krishnappa Gowtham, but couldn't afford the duo.

In the end, SRH had to be satisfied with acquiring Kedar Jadhav, Jagadeesha Suchith and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The Afghanistan mystery spinner joins his countrymen Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi at the franchise.

With very few changes to the squad, SRH are likely to field a XI similar to the one which notched up a string of wins towards the end of IPL 2020.

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SRH's predicted playing XI for IPL 2021

This year's IPL is still months away, but we attempt to predict what SRH's ideal playing XI will look like.

SRH's squad for IPL 2021: David Warner, Kane Williamson, Virat Singh, Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Wriddhiman Saha, Jonny Bairstow, Sreevats Goswami, Vijay Shankar, Mitchell Marsh, Mohammad Nabi, Jason Holder, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Shahbaz Nadeem, Kedar Jadhav, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

1 Warner 2 Saha 3 Williamson 4 Pandey 5 Shankar 6 Samad 7 Holder 8 Rashid 9 Bhuvneshwar 10 Nadeem 11 Natarajan

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Openers: David Warner (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk)

Wriddhiman Saha excelled in the few games he played in IPL 2020

Picking David Warner's best opening partner is a tough call, with Jonny Bairstow among the best in the world at the top of the order in white-ball cricket and Wriddhiman Saha excelling in the few games he played last year.

Saha should pip Bairstow to the post, simply because his inclusion allows SRH to field three other overseas players in their XI, which will bear a considerably more balanced look. The English opener struggled last year, and SRH's decision to drop Kane Williamson for their first few games backfired drastically.

Saha and Warner will look to get their team off to quick starts, just like they did in the latter half of their IPL 2020 campaign.

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Middle Order: Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey

Kane Williamson is likely to be preferred ahead of Jonny Bairstow

Kane Williamson is simply too good a player to be left out, and SRH learnt this the hard way in IPL 2020. The Kiwi skipper adds so much value to the team with his calmness, leadership and experience. He has had a bit too much responsibility on him at No. 3, but that should change this IPL as long as the team steers clear of injuries.

Manish Pandey, who played a few superb knocks in IPL 2020, will come in at No. 4 for SRH. There have been calls from certain quarters to use the Karnataka-born batsman in a finishing role, which he has played both in the IPL and for India in the past. But the SRH management seems to be keen on getting the most out of their premier Indian batsman.

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All-rounders: Vijay Shankar, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder

Abdul Samad had his moments during IPL 2020

Vijay Shankar missed many games in IPL 2020 owing to injury, and the SRH lineup suffered without balance in his absence. The all-rounder will contribute a few handy overs with the ball, and act as the anchor in the middle order for the other attacking batsmen.

Abdul Samad and Abhishek Sharma fought it out for the No. 6 spot in the SRH XI last year, and the former was more impressive with the bat in hand. Samad played a couple of entertaining knocks, and smashed tall sixes even against the league's best bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah.

Samad and Abhishek are both precocious talents, but SRH can only afford to fit one of them in their team. And thanks to his performances in IPL 2020, the Jammu & Kashmir youngster should get the nod.

The final all-rounder in the SRH XI will be Jason Holder. The West Indian was signed as an injury replacement for Mitchell Marsh, but he should hold on to his place even though the Aussie is expected to be fit for this year's IPL. Holder added a sense of calm to the SRH lower-middle order, and picked up wickets consistently.

Kedar Jadhav, who has been signed due to his experience, shouldn't be needed if Holder and Shankar play. Priyam Garg is another solid option, but the youngster is undoubtedly better suited to the top order, and playing him at No. 5 or No. 6 might be a waste.

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Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shahbaz Nadeem, T Natarajan

Rashid Khan might just be the best T20 bowler in the world at the moment

Rashid Khan is in a league of his own when it comes to spin bowling in T20 cricket, and he'll lead the SRH bowling attack once again in IPL 2021. He might want to contribute a touch more with the bat, as he is certainly more capable in that department than his numbers suggest.

The pace attack will see two familiar names in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan, who form a deadly partnership at the death. SRH should've added an Indian spinner in the IPL 2021 auction, but they failed to do so. With both Samad and Abhishek being rather unreliable with the ball last year, they'll have to fall back on Shahbaz Nadeem.

Jagadeesha Suchith is another option, and the left-arm spinner would add some depth to the batting lineup as well. However, he is signficantly less experienced, and hasn't featured regularly in the IPL recently.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no place for either Mujeeb Ur Rahman or Mohammad Nabi in the SRH playing XI for IPL 2021. Khaleel Ahmed and Siddarth Kaul will wait for their opportunities from the bench as well.

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SRH's predicted playing XI for IPL 2021: David Warner (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shahbaz Nadeem, T Natarajan