IPL 2019 team guide: Sunrisers Hyderabad

Dave Tickner
Rashid Khan Adelaide Strikers Sunrisers Hyderabad PA

Winners in 2016 and runners-up last year, and look to have improved the squad during the off-season. That’ll be Sunrisers Hyderabad, then.

Coach: Tom Moody
Captain: Kane Williamson
Previous Best: Winners (2016)
IPL history
2008: Did Not Exist
2009: Did Not Exist
2010: Did Not Exist
2011: Did Not Exist
2012: Did Not Exist
2013: 4th
2014: 6th
2015: 6th
2016: Winners
2017: 4th
2018: Runner-up

VIVO IPL TEAM GUIDES

Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Kings XI Punjab | Delhi Capitals | Rajasthan Royals | Kolkata Knight Riders

Why They’ll Win It:
Winners and runners-up within the last three years and boasting a formidable home record. Tendency to under-use the Powerplay overs addressed by return of David Warner and arrival of Martin Guptill, while Kane Williamson won whatever colour cap goes to the leading runscorer 12 months ago.

But it’s the bowling that really dazzles. It’s the best attack in the tournament, led by the world’s best T20 bowler Rashid Khan. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Siddarth Kaul to do the job at the start and end of the innings it’s a strong mix bolstered by high-class all-round options in Shakib-al-Hasan, Vijay Shankar, Yusuf Pathan and Mohammad Nabi.

Guptill and Jonny Bairstow are likely to be on their bench, such is the strength in this squad.

 

Why They Won’t:
There are few flaws in this squad, but they are a touch light on domestic batting, with Guptill replacing Shikhar Dhawan tilting things even further.

They don’t have many big hitters down the order, but with a strategy built around chasing and defending mid-range totals thanks to their stellar bowling attack it’s debatable how much that actually matters.

 

Star Man – Rashid Khan:
One of the very best things in cricket right now is that the world’s best T20 player is from Afghanistan. Tremendous. Having Rashid gives any side a fighting chance with the ball, while his batting is developing at an astonishing pace. He’s more than capable of taking on a Sunil Narine-style pinch-hitting role or bolstering a total late in the piece.

Full squad: David Warner (Aus), Martin Guptill (NZ), Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson (NZ), Ricky Bhui, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shreevats Goswami (wk), Jonny Bairstow (Eng, wk), Shakib-al-Hasan (Ban), Abhishek Sharma, Vijay Shankar, Yusuf Pathan, Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Nabi (Afg), Rashid Khan (Afg), Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Billy Stanlake (Aus).

Fixtures:

Sunday March 24
1600 IST/1030 GMT: Kolkata Knight Riders, Eden Gardens Kolkata

Friday March 29
2000 IST/1430 GMT: Rajasthan Royals, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Hyderabad

Sunday March 31
1600 IST/1130 BST: Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Hyderabad

Thursday April 4
2000 IST/1530 BST: Delhi Capitals, Feroz Shah Kotla Delhi

Saturday April 6
2000 IST/1530 BST: Mumbai Indians, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Hyderabad

Monday April 8
2000 IST/1530 BST: Kings XI Punjab, IS Bindra Stadium Mohali

Sunday April 14
2000 IST/1530 BST: Delhi Capitals, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Hyderabad

Wednesday April 17
2000 IST/1530 BST: Chennai Super Kings, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Hyderabad

Tuesday April 23
2000 IST/1530 BST: Chennai Super Kings, MA Chidambaram Stadium Chennai

Saturday April 27
2000 IST/1530 BST: Rajasthan Royals, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Monday April 29
2000 IST/1530 BST: Kings XI Punjab, Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium Hyderabad

Thursday May 2
2000 IST/1530 BST: Mumbai Indians, Wankhede Stadium Mumbai

Saturday May 4
2000 IST/1530 BST: Royal Challengers Bangalore, M Chinnaswamy Stadium Bangalore