IPL 2021: 3 reasons why SRH could win the IPL title this year
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been one of the most consistent teams in the IPL over the years. They have qualified for the playoffs in each of their five previous campaigns.
David Warner has played a key role in the Sunrisers Hyderabad's IPL success over the years. The Australian batsman took over as the SRH captain in 2015 and guided the team to the title the next season. In the last six IPL seasons, Warner has won three Orange Caps (most runs in an IPL season), leading SRH from the front with aplomb.
SRH finished third in IPL 2020. They made only a few changes to their squad before the 2021 IPL season, with Mujeeb ur Rahman, Kedar Jadhav, Jagadeesha Suchith and Jason Roy joined the Orange Army.
Although SRH could not make it to the final in IPL 2020, here's why the Sunrisers Hyderabad could go all the way in the tournament this year.
#1 Explosive top order
The top order is quite crucial for a team's success in T20s, especially in the IPL.
The top three batsmen should have the ability to bat for the entire 20 overs. Even if one of them manages to bat till the end, it can positively impact the team. Moreover, if the top-order batsmen can score runs quickly, the finishers can apply the final flourish.
SRH have as many as five match-winners in their top order who can single-handedly win matches for the team. Captain David Warner has proven himself as one of the most consistent batsmen in IPL history, while Kane Williamson has regularly brought his 'A' game to the table while donning the orange jersey.
Jonny Bairstow and Wriddhiman Saha have done well as openers in the last two seasons, while the addition of Jason Roy only makes the SRH top order more dangerous.
#2 SRH have two world-class spin bowlers
The Sunrisers Hyderabad already had world no. 2 T20I bowler Rashid Khan in their squad. The Afghan spinner has been sensational for the Orange Army ever since he joined the franchise.
Khan will have the support of his compatriot Mujeeb ur Rahman in the spin department in the IPL this year. The Hyderabad-based franchise signed Rahman at his base price of Rs 1.50 crore.
Both Rehman and Khan are renowned for bowling economically in T20 cricket, a role they have donned well for the Afghanistan team. If the duo bowls in tandem in IPL 2021, the opposition batsmen could find it difficult to score runs against them.
Drying up runs would put opponent teams under pressure and force them to make errors. In this regard, the combination of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rehman could prove key for SRH's title hopes in IPL 2021.
#3 In-form fast bowlers
While SRH have two world-class spin bowlers in their ranks, they also have many in-form quick bowlers.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan recently produced game-changing performances for India, while Jason Holder was excellent for SRH in IPL 2020.
Siddarth Kaul picked up back-to-back four-wicket hauls for Punjab in the recently-concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy. Sandeep Sharma has scalped wickets consistently for Punjab in the domestic competitions.
SRH have five in-form fast bowlers in their ranks. If their explosive top-order, world-class spinners and in-form pacers live up to full potential in IPL 2021, SRH will fancy their chances of going all the way