IPL 2018, SWOT Analysis of Sunrisers Hyderabad

Before the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League began, the Sunrisers Hyderabad were not the favorites to win the competition because of the absence of David Warner, who had been barred from playing the event due to the suspension imposed by Cricket Australia for his involvement in the Sandpaper gate incident.

While they did have other quality players in their squad, there was a general perception that Warner's impact would be missed and could harm their chances.

But heading into the Playoffs, the side have proven everyone wrong and they have the chance to go into the final stages as table-toppers. Here's a look at what has worked for them and what they could improve:

#1 Strengths

These two have been superb for the side

To finish in a sentence: Top-order batting, Sidharth Kaul and Rashid Khan

In the previous seasons, Shikhar Dhawan has always played second fiddle to Warner, but in his absence, the Indian left-hander has risen to the occasion, amassing 437 runs in 13 matches at a strike-rate of 139.

However, it is his captain - Kane Williamson - who has taken his T20 batting to another notch, with a whopping 661 runs at a fine strike-rate of 143. It was known before this IPL that the Kiwi was a terrific red ball player, who could hold the innings together in white-ball cricket.

However, with the Sunrisers, the right-hander has displayed a wide range of strokes, by opting for a more conventional mode of batting rather than looking to slog and that has worked very well.

With the ball, two men have stood out for the franchise - Sidharth Kaul with 17 wickets in 14 matches and Rashid Khan with 16 scalps in the same number of games.

These four, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, will be vital for the Sunrisers if they are to win their second title in three years.

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