Strengths
Opening combination and Rashid Khan. In David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, SRH have an opening pairing that can take down any bowling attack in the competition. In 2019, when they got going, captains scratched their heads to find a bowler who could get either or both of them. The franchise will hope they can do well as a partnership this season as well.
Rashid’s journey in the IPL may only be entering its fourth year, but the Afghanistan wrist spinner is already a lynchpin for his side and his performance will go a long way in determining how well SRH do this season.
Weaknesses
Middle-order batting. With no Shakib Al Hasan for them, SRH will lack experience at Number 4. That means players like Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar have to stand up and be counted.
They may have to also bank on players like Virat Singh to perform when he gets his chance.
Because of a slightly iffy middle-order, the responsibility of getting big runs will be even more on Warner and Bairstow. But hopefully, it wouldn’t be the case in every game.
Opportunities
With a slightly inexperienced middle-order, SRH could give opportunities to some of their younger players, the likes of Virat Singh, Priyam Garg and others to ease into the role and flourish in it, as the competition progressed.
The current edition also gives Bhuvneshwar Kumar a chance to regain form and become the bowler of the old again. He last played for India in December before a sports hernia ruled him out of the tour of New Zealand in February. He will be keen to make a successful comeback into the game.
Threats
SRH have always been a franchise who have ensured they had backups to key players in their squad. It is no different this year.
But what if their middle-order, that could have Indian players in them, don’t come good? Do they have players who can come into their place and deliver the goods? That’s one of the questions, whose answer we will know in a few days time.
