New Delhi, March 15. Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis believes that Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) hopes of a successful 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign depend on their ability to dominate the opposition bowlers and consistently outperform rival teams.
The 2016 IPL winners have broken batting and six-hitting records in the last two seasons, but they have failed to win the title due to a lack of firepower in their bowling lineup. "When I look at Sunrisers, it reminds me of the West Indies in the T20 World Cup, a very powerful batting lineup. But when I look at the squad, I ask myself, who are my wicket-takers? From a captaincy point of view, who am I throwing the ball to?
“Obviously, Cummins is the captain, so he is the go-to option. But apart from him, who are the other guys? Who are the two or three bowlers that I can rely on in the final overs and who will get me wickets in the powerplay? Looking at the names, I’m not entirely sure who those guys are.
“So if they are going to have a successful campaign, they will have to dominate the opposition bowlers and put pressure on the other team by outperforming them. Then, when the other team comes to bat, they will look at the scoreboard and try to chase 260, and that’s when they get out," said du Plessis on JioStar.
Former India pacer Laxmipathy Balaji also pointed out the bowling imbalance, stating that the trade of Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) was a setback for the team's bowling resources. "I was a bit surprised by Mohammed Shami's trade between SRH and LSG. Of course, Harshal Patel is another option, and he has experience in death bowling.
“But apart from that, the bowling lineup looks quite thin. They have tried Jaydev Unadkat, who will bowl a couple of overs upfront. Then there is Shivam Mavi, another bowler who has struggled with injuries over the years.
“In the spin department too, they do not have a reliable option. Yes, Zeeshan Ansari, a domestic leg-spinner, has done well. That is probably why they may have to rely on pace, with Ansari as their primary spin option."
England all-rounder Liam Livingstone is one of the high-profile batsmen that SRH has added to their squad for the new season, although du Plessis cautioned about expectations around him, adding that he hasn't yet lived up to his potential across several IPL stints.
"I think in this team, there is an over-reliance on Pat Cummins, the bowler. If you look at the way they structured the team, when you spend so much money on someone in the auction, you are essentially saying, 'He is part of our playing XI.' So they've gone, 'We want to pick the most destructive batting lineup in the IPL when it comes to six hitting.'
“And they are all six-hitters. Liam Livingstone is an interesting one because if you look at his IPL career, he has not performed to his full potential in almost any of the teams he has played for. You would expect that he has a season where people in India can truly see what he can do, but he has not quite done it yet.
“So it is interesting that teams continue to back him as the overall package. I suppose that is also because of the element of spin that comes with it and all-rounders are worth their weight in gold in an auction. That is probably why he went for so much."
At the top of the order, India opener Abhishek Sharma arrives after scoring a half-century in the T20 World Cup final win over New Zealand in Ahmedabad last week. Du Plessis, however, believes that Abhishek will quickly regain his best form, calling the period of poor form before his success in the final a natural part of any top batter's career.
"Expect a lot of off-spin, but I feel Abhishek has done fantastically well in IPL cricket. This kind of dip in form is very normal. Every top-performing batter goes through a season like the one he is in now. So it is just a case of staying strong through the challenges, keeping doing the same things, and continuing to focus on your process.
“There will be a time when it shifts and things turn again, and then you have to make sure you ride that wave. Obviously for him, unfortunately, it happened on the world stage where everyone wanted him to do well. He had such an incredible year before the World Cup. But he is a good player, so I am sure he will find his feet again quickly in the IPL and dominate."