Will the "Sun Rise" for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2023: SWOT Analysis || Probable playing XI for SRH

Since joining the IPL in 2013, SRH has enjoyed successful campaigns, particularly when David Warner was in charge, and they claimed their first championship in 2016. They've had a lot of amazing runs over the years, getting to the playoffs quite a few times and even the championship game in 2018.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad squad has been a formidable force in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in recent years, having won the title in 2016 and finishing as runners-up in 2018. However, they had a dismal season in 2021, finishing in the bottom half of the table. 

With the upcoming IPL 2023, it is time to conduct a SWOT analysis of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad and see how they stack up against their opponents.

Strengths

Sunrisers Hyderabad, coming into the 16th edition of the IPL seems to be the most settled team of the tournament. They have worked pretty well together to have all their bases covered. 

With the likes of Aiden Markram, Harry Brook, Heinrich Klassen, and Washington Sundar in the middle order, the Indian top three of Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, and Mayank Agarwal can be considered to be excellent. Any of the aforementioned foreign players may be substituted in for the explosive Kiwi Glenn Phillips, who is also on the team.

With bowlers like Washington Sundar and Adil Rashid, who can both compete in Indian conditions, their bowling attack appears to be well-prepared. The incredible Indian pace assault, which consists of T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Umran Malik, is also available if that isn't enough.

They also have a very like for like replacement on their bench. The likes of Marco Jansen, Abdul Samad in the all-rounders, Akeal Hosein and Mayank Markande in the spin department and finally Fazalhaq Farooqi and Kartik Tyagi in the fast-bowling department makes a good bench strength.

Weaknesses

One of the major weaknesses of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad is the lack of form of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been their standout fast bowler over the years, but he has struggled with injuries in recent times. The team also lacks a good spinner who can tie down the opposition in the middle overs. Another area of concern is their lower-middle order, which has not been consistent in recent years.

Despite being excellent cricketers individually, a Kiwi, an Englishman, a Protea, and an Indian would struggle to develop a strong batting chemistry due to their insufficient playing time together.

Opportunities

Sunrisers Hyderabad newly appointed captain, Aiden Markram who recently led Sunrisers Eastern Cape (sister Franchise of the Sunrisers Hyderabad) to win the title of the inaugural SA20 league held in South Africa, will foresee to repeat the same heroics with SRH well.

Umran Malik, a promising speedster who has already made it to the national side and is trying to secure his berth in the team, may have possibilities in the IPL 2023. The same is true for Rahul Tripathi, who is already recognized by the Indian team as a T20 option, and whose success in the league could determine his future.

Threats

There are no such obvious challenges to the SRH squad, which is highly strong. Harry Brook, SRH's top bidder this year, has chosen not to play in several T20 leagues around the world due to his intense workload, which is a small source of concern for them. His decline in performance in T20 cricket, especially, can have a negative impact on his form.

Probable Playing XI for Punjab Kings:

Mayank Agarwal, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (C), Harry Brook, Heinrich Klassen (WK), Washington Sundar, Adil Rashid, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

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