Will Kedar Jadhav be the 'X factor' in Sunrisers Hyderabad middle order?

The main strength of SRH is the balance they possess, especially a fantastic top order

One of the most consistent teams in the Indian Premier League over the last five years, the SunRisers Hyderabad would look to improve upon their middle-order batting during this edition of the tournament.

Since winning their only IPL title in 2016 under Warner's leadership, SRH have always made it to the play-offs but failed to finish on top.

In 2017, SRH lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator, while the Hyderabad outfit finished runners-up the next year, losing to the Chennai Super Kings in the final.

In 2019, SRH lost to the Delhi Capitals in the eliminator and in the 2020 edition, which was held in the UAE, they lost to DC in Qualifier 2.

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Having retained their core group for the 2021 season, SRH weren't that active in the Players' Auction, only adding a few back-up options to their already settled line-up.

However, one area of concern last time was their reliance on an inexperienced middle order in Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad.

Strengths:

SRH's main strength is the balance they possess, especially a fantastic top order.

With the likes of David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey and Wriddhiman Saha in their ranks in 2021, SRH have one of the most destructive batting line-ups.

Warner and Bairstow form one of the most feared opening pairs in the IPL. They have no qualms about taking the attack to the opposition from ball one and if they get going, the two are a treat to watch and no target is unachievable.

With an in-form Roy added to the equation, the choice of four overseas players won't be easy with Warner and Rashid Khan always picking themselves.

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The remaining two slots will depend on conditions and it could be Jason Holder with his all-round skills and Williamson with his experience completing the four-pronged overseas quota.

SRH's bowling also looks impressive with a fit-again Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid leading the pack. The presence of yorker king T Natarajan adds impetus to their attack. Afghan star Mujeeb-ur-Rahman is a strong addition this year but he may not find a place in the eleven with limited overseas slots.

Weaknesses:

SRH's major weakness is the absence of a powerful finisher in their line-up. The middle-order also looked shaky in the last IPL and that's where SRH would bank on Williamson's vast experience.

Although Vijay Shankar is regarded highly as an all-rounder, the Tamil Nadu cricketer is yet to prove his mettle for SRH and that's something that would be a cause of concern for the team management.

Though SRH have roped in Kedar Jadhav this year, it remains to be seen whether the Maharashtra all-rounder can prove his worth considering the fact that he is short on match practice.

Opportunities:

Saha, if given a promotion in the batting order, would look at it as an opportunity to show his range of strokes while Jadhav, whose international career is as good as over, could add that muscle that SRH desperately require in the middle order. This IPL will be a make-or-break one for Manish Pandey, who has already fallen behind in the pecking order as far as the national team is concerned. Pandey would like to make a statement to the national selectors and remain in the mix.

Threats:

SRH is heavily reliant on the top order to fire and provide a good start. If the likes of Warner, Bairstow, Pandey and Williamson fail together, that hefty pressure would shift to the team's middle and lower order, which includes the likes of Shankar, Holder and others.

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On the bowling front, SRH are overdependent on Rashid to deliver the goods every time.

The SRH squad: David Warner (captain), Kane Williamson, Virat Singh, Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Jason Roy, Sreevats Goswami (wicketkeeper), Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Kedar Jadhav, J Suchit, Jason Holder, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddharth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman.