SRH’s IPL 2024 Analysis: Have Hyderabad done enough to return their positive ways? Onus on Cummins

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is regarded as one of the most challenging T20 competitions in the world, with just a few teams winning the coveted title since its start in 2008. Among them, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) stands out, winning the coveted championship in 2016 under David Warner's guidance. Following their victory, SRH finished as runners-up in 2018 and made the playoffs in 2013, 2017, 2019, and 2020. However, their success has slipped in recent years, with them failing to advance past the league round and placing last in the rankings in 2021 and 2023.

Since IPL 2021, SRH has had turmoil, with three leadership changes in three years, with Warner leading in 2021, Kane Williamson in 2022, and Aiden Markram in 2023. Similarly, the team's head coaching role has changed often, with Trevor Bayliss in 2021, Tom Moody in 2022, and Brian Lara in 2023. SRH will be led by a new captain, Pat Cummins of Australia, in the IPL 2024 season. They also welcome new faces to the coaching team, with Daniel Vettori named as head coach and James Franklin as fast bowling coach.

In a key move, SRH bought Shahbaz Ahmed from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in November 2023 and traded him for Mayank Dagar during the trading window. Furthermore, at the mini-auction, SRH made headlines by signing Australia's World Cup-winning skipper, Pat Cummins, for a stunning 20.5 crore, the second-highest price after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spent 24.75 crore for Mitchell Starc. Along with Cummins, SRH acquired key assets in Travis Head (6.8 crore) and Wanindu Hasaranga (1.5 crore), increasing their worldwide presence.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that SRH will begin their IPL 2024 campaign against KKR on March 23 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

With SRH preparing for a new season under a new captain, let's look at the SWOT analysis of the Hyderabad-based franchise.

Strength

• Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have built a reputation as a bowling-oriented team, often successfully defending low totals in past matches. The addition of Pat Cummins strengthens Hyderabad's pace attack.
• In IPL 2023, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mayank Markande performed well, with Kumar taking 16 wickets and Markande claiming 12 at economical rates.
• The inclusion of Wanindu Hasaranga enhances SRH's spin department, which includes Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, and Markande.

Weakness

• SRH lacks prominent Indian players with consistent international exposure. While they have domestic talents like Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Umran Malik, and Abdul Samad, their recent performances in white-ball tournaments have been subpar.
• None of the Indian batters for SRH crossed the 300-run mark last season, with Rahul Tripathi and Mayank Agarwal having inconsistent campaigns.

Also Read: ‘I'm always gonna be here’: Virat Kohli vows exclusive loyalty to RCB

Opportunities

• Pat Cummins' appointment as SRH captain brings leadership experience from his successful tenure with Australia's national team, including winning the ODI World Cup, the World Test Championship, and retaining the Ashes in 2023.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar, despite being out of India's T20I plans, has shown promise in domestic cricket and aims to secure a spot in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Threat

• SRH's poor performance in IPL 2023, finishing at the bottom under Markram's captaincy, raises concerns despite Cummins' appointment as the new captain, given his lack of prior IPL leadership experience.
• Cummins' T20 bowling statistics, with 145 wickets in 130 matches at an economy of 7.99, and the uncertainty surrounding his performance in the upcoming season pose a significant risk to SRH's prospects.
• The team faces challenges with several injury-prone players like Washington Sundar, Travis Head, T Natarajan, and Wanindu Hasaranga, which could hamper their campaign if these players spend significant time on the sidelines.

Also Read: Delhi Capitals announce Rishabh Pant as Captain

SRH Predicted XI

Aiden Markram, Mayank Agarwal, Travis Head, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Washington Sundar, Pat Cummins (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Mayank Markande

SRH Full Squad

 Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Mayank Agarwal, Heinrich Klaasen, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Singh Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Sanvir Singh, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Akash Singh, Shahbaz Ahamad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Mayank Markande, Pat Cummins