Sunrisers Hyderabad have a good chance to win IPL 2021 – Jonny Bairstow
England opener Jonny Bairstow has opined that his team, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), have a good chance of winning IPL 2021.
Jonny Bairstow is in rich form in the ongoing three-match ODI series against India. He slammed his 11th ODI hundred in the second ODI as England chased down 337 to level the 3-match series 1-1. Bairstow is also expected to play a key role for his Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2021.
Despite a long English summer on the anvil, Jonny Bairstow believes he has plenty in the tank to play the IPL, as it is a tournament where every international player wants to play. He said in this regard in the post-match press conference after the second ODI in Pune:
“Yes (plenty in the tank for IPL despite the long English summer that follows). It’s a fantastic tournament to be involved in. Every international cricketer around the world wants to play in the IPL. I will be joining the Sunrisers Hyderabad soon. I am pretty excited.".
Talking of his team’s chances in IPL 2021, Jonny Bairstow said:
“We did pretty well last year. We got a good chance this year. We got a few good signings. We need to carry on as a unit and take it ahead from last year.”
The Hyderabad-based franchise finished third in IPL 2020. Among notable signings they've made in 2021, Sunrisers Hyderabad have roped in Kedar Jadhav and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Jonny Bairstow’s not-so-impressive IPL 2020 campaign:
Jonny Bairstow’ first played in the IPL in 2019. Opening the batting with David Warner, the Yorkshireman slammed 445 runs at an average of 55.62 and an incredible strike rate of 157.24.
However, in the 2020 edition of the tournament, Jonny Bairstow struggled to replicate his magic on the slower surfaces in the UAE. He managed 345 runs at an underwhelming average of 31.36, and his strike rate slipped to 126.8.
Jonny Bairstow eventually lost his spot as a wicketkeeper-batsman to Wriddhiman Saha. That freed up a foreign player’s slot in the team, an opportunity Jason Holder gleefully grabbed with both hands