IPL 2018: 3 reasons why Sunrisers Hyderabad don't have the best bowling attack in the tournament anymore
Sunrisers Hyderabad ended the league stage at the top of the table and much of the team’s success was dependent on a bowling attacking that performer brilliantly. They restricted teams to below par scores at the beginning and then after a slight hiccup, they became one of the greatest bowling attacks in IPL history.
The defence of 118 at Mumbai was perhaps their best performance and for most of the tournament, it became an accepted fact that SRH possessed the best bowling attack in the tournament. However, that particular assertion is perhaps no longer true if the SRH bowling attack’s performances in their last four league games are to be looked at.
They conceded 187 to Delhi Daredevils, then Chennai Super Kings chased down 180 in 19 overs with the loss of two wickets, Royal Challengers Bangalore hit them for 218 and in their last game at home, Kolkata Knight Riders chased down 172 with ease
So has their bowling attack been worked out by the opposition or is there an inherent problem with it? Here are some reasons why they might not be the best bowling attack in the IPL anymore.
#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not delivered to his abilities
It was thought that the absence of their pace spearhead was going to significantly affect SRH but those fears turned out to be unfounded as Sandeep Sharma bowled brilliantly in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s absence.
However, since the latter made his way back into the team, he has still not been at his absolute best. He was known for being a bowler who is not only frugal but a wicket-taking threat and he has floundered on both fronts.
A meagre return of only 2 wickets in the five games that he has played since his return is a worrying statistic for the SRH management and in addition to that, he has also been taken apart by batsmen with ease.
Rishabh Pant’s assault in Delhi is a case in point and the way CSK’s opening batsmen smashed him around at Pune is a clear indication that his bowling form is not quite at the desired level. If he fails to regain his form and gets taken to the cleaners by the same players today, then Sunrisers might find it tough to win the first qualifier.