Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) made their entry into the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the 2013 season. The Hyderabad-based franchise qualified for the playoffs in their debut season but failed to sneak into the top four in the next two seasons.
Nevertheless, they made a stellar rebound in IPL 2016 season, where they qualified for the playoffs before going all the way to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final to win their maiden IPL title under David Warner’s captaincy.
SRH also made it to the finals of the 2018 season but lost to Chennai Super Kings in the showdown under Kane Williamson’s captaincy. Since then, they qualified for the playoffs in 2019 and 2020 seasons respectively.
Sunrisers failed to make it to the top four in the IPL 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions. They were quite impressive at the IPL 2024 auction wherein they bolstered their squad by making top signings that fit their bill. SRH will begin their cricketing journey on March 23 as they will play against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Sunrisers will field their strongest playing XI for the next season and let’s go through it.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Probable Playing XI for IPL 2024
The 2016 IPL champions acquired ICC World Cup 2023 winner, Travis Head for INR 6.8 crore in the IPL 2024 auction. The left-handed batter is known for his potential to play aggressively, something that SRH will be looking for in terms of providing electrifying starts in the games.
Mayank Agarwal who was roped in by SRH for INR 8.25 crore will be dominating the proceedings alongside Travis Head. He scored 2597 runs including 1 century and 13 fifties in the IPL. Rahul Tripathi was recruited by SRH in IPL 2022 for INR 8.2 crore. The right-handed batter scored 413 runs for SRH in that season before his form took a hit in the subsequent season with 273 runs.
Despite his performances, SRH decided to retain him ahead of the auction and the 33-year-old will be looking to prove his worth this time around. Aiden Markram might have lost captaincy to Pat Cummins but let’s not forget that he is a good T20 batter. The South African mustered 775 runs including 4 fifties.
Heinrich Klaasen will be looking forward to ticking the boxes as a batsman and wicket keeper for the team. He is known for his ability to find boundaries regularly, even under pressure, which sets him apart. Washington Sundar is one of the very few bowlers who is particularly effective in containing runs and he maintains an economy of 7.33, which is pretty decent in the fast-paced tournament.
Pat Cummins has a big responsibility on his shoulders after he was appointed the captain. SRH afforded the ICC World Cup 2023 winning captain for a staggering price of INR 20.50 crore and will be looking forward to the challenges ahead.
Meanwhile, Shahbaz Ahmed was traded to SRH from RCB and the left-arm spinner will be looking to make an impact on the conditions that are conducive to spin. On the other hand, SRH boasts a top-notch pace battery in the form of experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar who can pose a serious threat to the opposition, especially in death overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been with the SRH franchise since 2014. The premier pacer has taken 170 wickets in 160 appearances at an economy of 7.39 including 2 fifers whereas young pace bowling sensation Umran Malik who burst onto the scene by clocking 150 plus mark will be determined to make a stellar comeback in the next season. T Natarajan has been one of the finest performers with the ball for SRH for more than six years now. The left-arm medium-fast bowler has taken 48 wickets in 47 appearances.
SRH Probable Playing XI
Travis Head, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Washington Sundar, Pat Cummins, Shahbaz Ahmed, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan.
Pat Cummins (c), Aiden Markram, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Glenn Phillips (wk), Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Upendra Yadav, Sanvir Singh, Mayank Markande, Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan.
Chaithanya G Mykhel
source: mykhel.com