Led by Australian speedster Pat Cummins, Sunrisers clearly looks the most feared opposition in the IPL this season
Hyderabad: By all means, 2016 IPL champions, Sunrisers Hyderabad, present the most destructive batting line-up backed by plenty of variety and depth in bowling attack when the team embarks on what should be a journey of redemption – having lost in the last edition’s final against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Led by Australian speedster Pat Cummins, who has the rare distinction of mentoring his team to World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup triumphs, Sunrisers clearly looks the most feared opposition in the IPL this season.
For a team which set a benchmark in terms of crossing the 250 mark in a T-20 game so easily last season and the debate on whether it would breach the 300-plus totals this season, it will not be farfetched to consider this formidable team as one of the clear favourites.
Especially, at home on pitches which have been traditionally batter-friendly, though the bowlers will have a daunting task for sure unless they are given a perfect cushion to defend.
Just have a look at the batting line-up which has Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, the Indian having already thrown enough hints of his brilliance in combining class, power and precision with the bat, at the top. This opening pair can be a menace to the best of the bowling attacks.
For this season, Sunrisers secured another free-stroking batter, Ishan Kishan, Mohammad Shami and Harshal Patel.
The South African Heinrich Klaasen is the other most dangerous batter in any conditions given his explosive range of strokes against both pace and spin. And, you have Sri Lankan batting sensation Kamindu Mendis, and all-rounders Nitish Reddy and Wiaan Mulder.
Then there are the likes of Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, and Sachin Baby who can raise the bar. The think tank of Sunrisers seemed to have covered the bases quite well as the bowling attack led by Cummins also has leg-spinners Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa, and left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat.
