SRH Predicted Playing 11
Sun Risers Hyderabad, also known as SRH, is a franchise cricket team that represents the city of Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team was founded in 2014 and has been a consistent performer in the tournament.
For more than half the decade, SRH was synonymous with David Warner and Rashid Khan. However, last year, before the mega auction, SRH let go of David Warner and Rashid Khan and decided to go with NZ skipper Kane Williamson.
As Williamson had a mediocre season with the bat last year and his price tag was 14C, SRH decided to revamp the team structure again and went on to the auctions with 42C.
Now, after picking decent players in the auction with new strategies, they have decided to go with Aiden Markram as the skipper for IPL 2023, who led and won the inaugural SA T20 league for their sister franchise, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Openers
Mayank Agarwal, Abhishek Sharma
After a very underwhelming year with the bat across all the domestic competitions and having lost his place in the Indian team across formats, Punjab Kings decided to let go of their skipper Mayank Agarwal, saving 14 crore in purse value.
Mayank scored just 196 runs for the Punjab Kings last year, while he had 400+ seasons in 2021 and 2020.
After getting dropped by Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad got the services of Mayank for IPL 2023 for 8.25 crore after fighting hard with Chennai Super Kings on the auction table.
Mayank is expected to open along with Abhishek Sharma, who after four years of playing in the IPL finally punched above his weight when he was given the opener role and amassed 426 runs at a decent strike rate of 133.
Only time will tell if these two can fill the shoes of an enviable pair. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan
Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram
After doing well in his opening season for the Rising Pune Super Giants in 2017, Rahul Tripathi had a few quiet IPL seasons for KKR.
Tripathi finally made some telling contributions last season, scoring 413 runs at an unbelievable strike rate of 158, which eventually helped him wear the India jersey in recent T20 tournaments with Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Sun Risers Hyderabad will have their new skipper Aiden Markram at No. 4, who recently led the sister franchise and won the trophy for them in the SA T20 league.
Markram can play spin well and can also step out and attack the pacers equally like Faf. He can contribute with his off spin when lefties are around the crease.
Finishers
Harry Brook, Heinrich Klassen
It is going to be interesting to see how Harry Brook, who generally plays T20 in test matches, will fare in the IPL. Harry Brook was bought by SRH for 13.25 crore after fighting hard with Rajasthan Royals at the auction table.
Brook's partner in finishing the games will be Heinrich Klassen, who has had a very good 2023 season so far, where he has significantly improved his strike rate across the formats and played a pivotal role for his team in the recently concluded SA T20 league.
There is still a tossup between Glenn Philips and Heinrich Klassen, but I believe Klassen should start because of his better wicket-keeping skills.
The only issue with SRH having Brook and Klassen as finishers is the fact that they are yet to prove their worth in the IPL.
All-Rounders
Washington Sundar, Marco Jansen
The No. 7 spot will be given to seasoned all-rounder Washington Sundar, who has had a decent couple of years with RCB. Barring his frequent injuries, Sundar has been performing to his potential whenever he has gotten his chances.
Macro Jansen will play at 8 and is expected to open the game along with Bhuvi. His high left-arm pace will surely trouble the batters. He has improved his T20 batting in the last year and has played handy knocks for his side in the SA T20 league.
These two players performances will be crucial in both departments for SRH, where they can get 10–15 extra runs at the back end and pick crucial wickets when required.
Bowlers
Natrajan, Bhuvi & Umran Malik
SRH has a potent Indian trio of fast bowlers on paper in the form of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Natrajan, and Umran Malik. All three come from different scenarios in terms of their careers.
Natrajan, who has inspired millions of young Indians through his journey, suddenly seems to be off Indian selectors radar for all three formats, even after picking 18 wickets last season.
Bhuvi hasn't been considered for selection after India's ignominious exit in the World Cup T20 semi-final.
Umran's stocks have improved considerably in the last year, but he still has a long way to go.
Backups
Adil Rashid, who had a very economical T20 World Cup with the ball, can replace Marco Jansen on the condition that there will be some spin. Afghanistan sensation Fazal Farooqi can also target Marco Jansen's spot for a few matches.
Glenn Philips can replace Heinrich Klaassen if Philips is willing to take the gloves for SRH.
Top 3 players to watch out for
Aiden Markram
It will be interesting to see if Markram can give one more title to the Sunrisers franchise in 2023. On his personal form, Markram is very crucial for SRH to handle the middle overs batting and a few off-spin duties when lefties are on the crease.
Umran Malik
Expected to control the middle phase of SRH bowling innings, Indian hasn't produced sheer pace talent for a long time. So, SRH would be hoping for a similar sort of performance from Umran Malik as last year.
Harry Brook
After going for 13.25 crore, all eyes will be on Brook to provide the finishing touch at 5. Brook has played a lot of attacking cricket for England in Tests, but he hasn't produced much in the limited overs format. If SRH gambles on Brook works, they would be the team to beat in this IPL.
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