3 ways in which SRH can go about ensuring a better second half of IPL 2021
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been one of the most consistent sides in the IPL since 2016, when they won their first title since the franchise takeover of the Deccan Chargers.
The squad is known for making relatively few changes. Traditionally, they have relied on a solid top order, with extra emphasis on one player - David Warner. The former skipper has scored 500-plus runs in the last six IPL seasons and been steady as a rock.
SRH have also nurtured a stout bowling unit over the years, which has helped restrict the opposition to minimal scores on several occasions.
2021, however, has been a different story for the franchise from the "City of Pearls." Warner has struggled to find his groove, and the drama around the Australian hasn't helped, while the two Indian bowlers who were to lead the attack - Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan - have been hampered by injuries. Due to this lack of consistency from both departments, their shortcomings in the middle order have been exposed this season.
Even though SRH are unlikely to book a playoff spot, they will want to finish the tournament higher up the table instead of dangling at the bottom, and we propose a few ways in which they can go about ensuring a better second half once IPL 2021 resumes:
#1 Get Jason Holder in the SRH XI
Jason Holder has never really put together a good run of games in the IPL. His most prominent season was 2020, when he played seven matches, bagging 14 wickets with an economy rate of 8.32.
However, this season, the West Indian added some much-needed balance to the SRH side with four productive overs with the ball as well as by being a capable lower-middle order batsman who could be counted on to provide some lusty blows.
But despite having a successful outing, Holder was dropped from the team as SRH continued to tinker with their side. The all-rounder from Barbados played just one game in this year's tournament, providing figures of 3/30 from his four overs against RCB and still ended up losing his place in the team.
While management continue to try and find the right balance, they have seemingly turned a blind eye to a player who could be their ace in the hole.
#2 The Afghan trio
Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rehman are the three Afghan players in SRH's ranks. Similar to Holder, Nabi's presence has been mostly overlooked by the team. While Khan has been a constant presence, opportunities have been quite limited for his international counterparts.
Nabi has played just 16 matches in his IPL career so far, with his most consistent run of games coming back in 2019. In his eight games that season, the all-rounder notched up eight wickets with a staggering economy rate of 6.65. He also produced his best bowling figures that year: 4/11 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Nabi not only provides a reliable bowling option to SRH, but some much needed firepower in the middle order as well. We got a glimpse of his big-hitting ability in the recent match against RR. Another thing that the SRH staff have overlooked is the vast improvement in his batting. There's enough evidence from his recent international and BBL games to suggest that the youngster could be used as a pinch-hitter in some situations.
Meanwhile, Mujeeb Ur Rehman was brought in as a mere backup to Khan and understandably, hasn't had many chances to showcase his skills.
#3 Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, a devastating opening combination
With whispers of this IPL being Warner's last with the Orange Army, SRH couldn't have asked for a better time to unleash one of the most devastating opening partnerships. While SRH might have made an error in judgment by replacing Mitchell Marsh with another top-order batsman in Jason Roy, that decision could well work out in their favor.
With the opportunity to unleash one of the best opening partnerships in world cricket in recent times, SRH have the option of going gung-ho with Roy and Bairstow as their openers. And with Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey in the middle order, alongside handy Indian all-rounders like Abdul Samad and Priyam Garg, SRH should have enough flexibility to adjust to any situation.
While this might seem like an out-of-the-box approach, with little to lose in the 2021 season, SRH would be better off playing on the offensive and imposing themselves on the opposition, rather than waiting for teams to set the tone. This would allow them to stay true to their traditional gameplan, which has proved effective for them in recent history.