IPL 2021: Three things Sunrisers Hyderabad must do to end their woes and make the playoffs
The 2021 Indian Premier League has been nothing short of a disaster so far for Sunrisers Hyderabad. They find themselves dead last in the IPL table with just one solitary win from their opening eight matches. The Sunrisers' chances of making the playoffs are very slim, but they are not out of the race just yet.
There is still plenty of time for the Sunrisers Hyderabad to rectify their mistakes and get their form back. And if they can get a couple of wins under their belt, you never know what could happen in this unpredictable world of the IPL.
But before that, they must fix some of the mistakes that have affected them over the last eight games. Here are three things the Sunrisers Hyderabad must do if they want to somehow still make it to the IPL playoffs.
#1 Sunrisers Hyderabad must end the David Warner saga by publicly backing him
Sunrisers Hyderabad's treatment of David Warner this season has been unnecessary and downright disgraceful. The Australian opener has been the franchise's best and most important player over the years. Without him in the team, they would not have an IPL title next to their name.
So for them to strip him of the captaincy and drop him from the side was a poor call, which simply hasn't worked out. Warner is now back in the playing XI with great weight on his shoulders. But he looks bereft of confidence after the shock decision that was made earlier this year.
If the Sunrisers back him publicly and manage to convince him that he remains an important part of the team, it will do him and his confidence a world of good. And a confident Warner is one of the most destructive players in T20 cricket.
#2 Sunrisers Hyderabad must give Jason Roy a chance
Like David Warner, Jason Roy is one of the most dangerous opening batsmen in T20 cricket. Everyone knows just how good the aggressive England opener can be when playing with full freedom. And having him at the top of the order alongside Warner will certainly boost their batting.
Perhaps Roy and Warner could be the new Bairstow and Warner. And with Kane Williamson coming in at one down followed by Manish Pandey and Wriddhiman Saha, suddenly the Sunrisers Hyderabad batting order looks more dangerous than ever. They will also have the exciting young talent Abdul Samad as their finisher. They could also take a look at Priyam Garg who excelled in the UAE during the 2020 IPL.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will have to remove Jason Holder from their playing XI to accommodate Jason Roy. But now that they have Bhuvneshwar Kumar back in the team, they can afford to go without Holder.
#3 Sunrisers Hyderabad must stop chopping and changing
Sunrisers Hyderabad used a whopping 21 players in the first half of the IPL, more than any other team. Their lack of form also has a lot to do with the fact that their captain, coach and management still don't know their best playing XI more than six months after the IPL auction.
They certainly haven't been helped by the poor form of some of their key players. But management's failure to plug the apparent holes during the auction is coming back to haunt them now. While nothing can be done now to fix the mistakes made many months ago, the Sunrisers Hyderabad can still settle on an XI and give their players a chance to show what they are capable of.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad must figure out their playing XI and do so very quickly. Otherwise it will be time for them to go home before long.