Sunrisers Hyderabad, often touted as a team that can be the first to breach the 300-run mark given the firepower at the top, have had mixed results in the last two seasons. Can the top-heavy team deliver this time?
Strength: Power hitters.
The top three comprising Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan — the stand-in skipper till Pat Cummins can assume charge — can be a nightmare for any attack on their day. Add to that the likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Weakness: The pace attack. Cummins’ unavailability for the initial part of the IPL will put Jaydev Unadkat and Harshal Patel under immense pressure. SRH will look to England’s Brydon Carse to rise to the challenge.
The onus will be on spin-bowling allrounder Harsh Dubey, recipient of the BCCI Lala Amarnath award for the best allrounder in 2024-25, to deliver.
Opportunity: Ishan Kishan will get a chance to display his leadership credentials in the absence of Cummins. His tactical moves will be watched keenly.
Threat: Injuries. SRH lost Jack Edwards and he was replaced by David Payne. Cummins has joined the squad but Eshan Malinga and Kamindu Mendis are both returning after long layoffs.
The domestic players will have to pull their weight.
