Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Sporting Buzz
-
RCB: Royal Challengers Bengaluru restores three lakes in Bengaluru as part of Go Green Initiative -
KKR vs RCB: What Happened when KKR and RCB met Last Year in IPL 2023? -
T20 World Cup: 'He will definitely be in my list' - Anjum Chopra handpicks 2 wicketkeeper-batters for India squad -
Coventry boss Mark Robins: Manchester United are the 'biggest club in the world' -
DC vs SRH, IPL 2024: Will David Warner play against Sunrisers Hyderabad? -
DC vs SRH Head To Head Record, Stats & Results in Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Ahead of IPL 2024 Match 35 -
Julian Nagelsmann to stay on as Germany coach until after 2026 World Cup -
Roman Reigns transitioning to Hollywood after WWE WrestleMania 40 loss -
WrestleMania: WWE possibly moving biggest PLE to a different timeslot -
Al Nassr vs Al Fayha Live Streaming: Where to Watch Cristiano Ronaldo Saudi Pro League Match in India, UK, USA and Other Countries?
New Delhi, May 22: Sunrisers Hyderabad have had a dream run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 as they emerged as the team to beat all through the season. The Kane Williamson-led side, who were signed off before the start of the tournament, stunned all with their conquests and ability to pull off games from crunch situations.
IPL SPECIAL SITE | POINTS TABLE | TEAM REPORT: CSK
Under Williamson's leadership, SRH became the first team to qualify for the play-offs with nine wins. At a time when sides were struggling to get a settled playing eleven, Hyderabad registered six-consecutive wins and emerged as the top contenders for the title. With 18 points in their kitty, they have ensured themselves two chances to make it to the finals.
Here Mykhel gives a report card of Sunrisers Hyderabad based on their performance in the league phase.
WHAT WENT RIGHT:
Sunrisers suffered a massive setback before the start of the season as their inspirational captain David Warner was suspended by Cricket Australia for a year due to his involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town. The Orange Army weren't bogged down by the loss of their charismatic captain who also happened to be their batting mainstay. The team management made Williamson, who many felt wouldn't have been a regular member of the playing eleven had Warner played, as their captain. The New Zealand skipper later went on to prove his mettle and led the team from the front.
Check out scenes from the practice today at Wankhede as the #OrangeArmy gets ready for the First Qualifier #SRHvCSK pic.twitter.com/cz0lfORcD1
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 21, 2018
Under his watch, SRH performed as a team which helped them climb at the top of the table in the early stages of the tournament and maintained their lead. Williamson (661 runs) chipped in with the bat in almost every game and emerged as the leading run-getter for his team. With eight fifties under his belt in the season, most by a batsman, he was the second leading run-scorer in the league stage. Shikhar Dhawan (437 runs) also complimented his skipper well with the bat whenever his team needed in the second half of the league.
However, it is the bowling that has been Sunrisers' biggest strength in the league. They unarguably possess one of the finest pace attacks in the tournament with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, and Basil Thampi delivering every time the skipper introduced them.
This is the 4th time #OrangeArmy is in the #Playoffs with #SRH entering as the Table Toppers this time.#GoOrangeArmy#GameONNNN#SRHvCSK #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/8lok0ou9aC
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 22, 2018
They also have the services of two champion spinners i.e. Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan. The way Sunrisers defended a paltry total of 118 against a formidable Mumbai Indians batting attack and restricted them to 88 proved how deadly their bowling department is.
WHAT WENT WRONG:
Manish Pandey, their most expensive buy in the auction, hasn't yet delivered as per the expectations. The right-handed middle-order batsman was bought at a whopping price of Rs. 11.50 crore but the Karnataka-lad's bat has mostly been silent in the tournament so far.
SRH have primarily depended on Williamson and Dhawan to do the bulk of scoring with the bat and lost whenever these two failed. Alex Hales, Yusuf Pathan have contributed but in patches.
SRH lost their last three games on the trot and this would be the only concern for the coach Tom Moody. The team shouldn't lose the momentum in the final stages of the tournament.
THE ROAD AHEAD:
Having finished the table at the top, Sunrisers will get two opportunities to make it to the final. But they are going to face Chennai Super Kings in their Qualifier 1. CSK has been the only team they haven't yet conquered in this season hence it won't be easy for Williamson and his to edge MS Dhoni and his team. But, two-time champions (CSK) can't take them lightly.
Highest run-getter
Kane Williamson: 661 (50s: 8)
Highest Wicket taker: Siddharth Kaul: 17 (Eco: 8, Best: 3/23)
Disappointment:
Manish Pandey: The Karnataka batsman emerged as the most expensive Indian player in the IPL auction. Bought at a humungous price of Rs 11.5 crore, Pandey has scored 276 runs, including 3 fifties, and averaged a paltry 27.60. These numbers are way too low from his standards. He had scored 396 runs (49.50 avg) in the last season for his former team Kolkata Knight Riders.
