3 reasons why SRH will find it tough to qualify for the IPL 2023 playoffs after losing to DC
SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) are in a tough fix at the moment following three consecutive defeats, with two of them coming at their home venue. Delhi Capitals (DC) piled on their misery by beating SRH by seven runs on Monday, April 24.
The Orange Army have not looked like a team to be feared so far in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) and are currently languishing in the ninth spot in the points table.
SRH last qualified for the playoffs in the 2020 season and if things do not change for the better, this will be their third consecutive season without knockout action. They began their campaign on a pessimistic note in the form of a heavy defeat at the hands of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at home.
SRH let go of several of their players like Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran, and Romario Shepherd, and roped in big-money acquisitions like Harry Brook and Mayank Agarwal ahead of the 2023 season. They also appointed Aiden Markram as the captain of the franchise.
So far, none of the changes seem to have had any effect on the level of performance on the field. Despite a relatively solid squad and an incredibly talented coaching staff, SRH are struggling to shed the tag of being rather ordinary.
On that note, here are three reasons why SRH are bound to miss out on the playoffs yet again.
#1 Far too many inconsistent and out-of-form players
SRH's suffering stems from the fact that they are yet to put in a complete performance. A number of their players are struggling for form, primarily the batters which include Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, and Rahul Tripathi.
Hyderabad have tried to tinker with their batting order, but across all permutations and combinations, the lack of form is a glaring issue. Harry Brook has struggled heavily on sluggish tracks, which will be a common sight as the tournament progresses.
Abhishek Sharma also does not have a defined role as of yet. After a decent season as an opening batter in IPL 2022, he is now being used as a floater and his bowling talents are not being used as well.
On the bowling front, Marco Jansen has been hot and cold so far this season. Additionally, Umran Malik is lacking the venom he had last season that resulted in 22 wickets. In IPL 2023, he has only been able to pick up five wickets in six matches at an economy rate of 9.63 and has hardly featured with the new ball.
#2 Mid-table log jam
The points table at the halfway stage of IPL 2023 presents a unique dynamic. No team is running away with the points as of yet, and there are six sides with eight points, which just makes SRH's job more difficult.
The likes of SRH, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), and DC have been a step below the rest, and with several teams very much alive in the race for the playoffs, SRH need more than a miracle to get into the top four.
SRH will still have to go to challenging venues like Jaipur, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad in the league phase. Their ongoing three-match losing streak also does not help their case as they are completely devoid of any sort of momentum at the minute.
#3 Poor net rate adds more concern
Their biggest win of the season came in the form of an eight-wicket win over the Punjab Kings (PBKS), but it did not quite boost their net run rate as they won the contest with a little over two overs to spare.
In contrast, their defeats have been of dominant margins, like RR beating them by 72 runs or Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) defeating them with four overs to spare.
The likes of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni have spoken about the importance of net run rate, and even if SRH manage to put in a string of wins, they do not have a headstart in terms of net run rate over others. SRH have the second-worst net run rate in the league at the moment with -0.725.
Will SRH make it to the IPL 2023 playoffs? Let us know what you think.