IPL 2021: 3 milestones SRH players can achieve this season
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been a formidable IPL side who generally go unnoticed as their best performers don’t hog the limelight as much as other players have. The impetus that SRH provide to promising youngsters from the Indian domestic scene is admirable.
In the past, they have trusted the likes of Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg and Abdul Samad, and provided them with ample opportunities to showcase their potential. Of course, considering the core of the team and especially their middle-order, the move to field youngsters has been criticised in the past.
SRH is a team built on the strong foundations provided by a strong top order and their world-class bowling lineup, including proven match-winners like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan & Rashid Khan.
On that note, we take a look at three milestones their players can achieve this season of the IPL.
1. David Warner has to score 83 more runs to cross 10,000 runs in T20s
David Warner has been among SRH's most consistent batsmen in the past 4-5 years. The SRH skipper has accumulated 3819 runs for the ‘Orange Army’ since 2015. And this becomes even more significant as he was out of the game for a year owing to his ban post the ‘Sandpaper Gate' scandal.
Warner has been perfectly complemented by English opener Jonny Bairstow over the past few years. The team rallies around the solid foundation provided by the pair; and their over-reliance on the pair has cost them in the past as well.
This season of the IPL could end up being extra special for Warner as he is just 83 runs away from scaling a special personal milestone, and joining the elite club of batsman with more than 10,000 runs in T20s. The club includes West Indians Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard & Shoaib Malik as of now, and Warner's induction can't be too far away.
Get the updated orange cap in IPL 2021 list here.
2. Rashid is 21 away from 100 IPL wickets for SRH
For a bowler having bowled more than 250 balls in the IPL, Afghanistan leggie Rashid Khan has the best economy rate at 6.20. This goes to show how well he has developed into a potent match-winner. Teams now looking to play him out are an indication of just how dangerous he has become.
Considering how important he is for SRH’s chances in this IPL, they have tried to bring him in crucial junctures of the game to provide key breakthroughs. Four wickets in three games so far at a miserly economy rate of 5.24 only goes to show why Rashid is rated so highly in cricketing circles.
Rashid is now 21 wickets away from scalping 100 wickets for SRH. For a player coming from such a tough background and making it into the IPL in 2017, this would be a huge moment. And if he can get to this milestone in IPL 2021, the leg-spinner could well be a contender for the IPL Purple Cap.
3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is twelve away from 150 wickets in IPL
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the most prominent swing bowlers in the world right now. His ability to swing the ball both ways, coupled with his death-overs bowling, have made him such an invaluable asset for SRH. Their fantastic title-winning campaign in 2016 was successful mainly due to David Warner’s exceptional batting and Bhuvi’s 23 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate of 7.21.
Bhuvi recently returned after a long injury lay-off for India in the LOI wing of England's tour of the country. After a couple of games, he showed why he is such an asset to have in any T20I team.
SRH this year would certainly want their pace spearhead to take the 12 wickets which would give him a personal milestone to cherish but more importantly, revive SRH's IPL 2021 hopes.