SRH Playing XI vs RR: Kane Williamson names XI, Abhishek Sharma set to open alongside Kiwi; Markram, Shepherd make debuts
Kane Williamson has handed debuts to three international stars with Aiden Markram, Romario Shepherd and Nicholas Pooran, while Rahul Tripathi and Washington Sundar will also make their first appearance for the side. The 2016 champions have some real flexibility in the line-up and while Kane Williamson and Abhishek Sharma are likely to be the openers, but both Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram can make the move to the top and keep the opposition guessing.
Retained duo Umran Malik and Abdul Samad make it to the XI due to their X-factor, while Sunrisers veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan make up for the pace attack. Natarajan makes a return after a long time injury and it remains to be seen how the left-arm pacer goes out about his business.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Kane Williamson(c), Nicholas Pooran(w), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Washington Sundar, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik
SRH have completely revamped the squad with only Williamson, Abdul Samad, and Umran Malik as their old players in it. The Orange army are now devoid of the services of explosive batters David Warner and Jonny Bairstow at the top. SRH also does not have Rashid Khan although the management succeeded in bringing back young players Abhishek Sharma and Priyam Garg.
SRH also have some dynamic players in Washinton Sundar and Nicholas Pooran. The core of the squad is young and SRH would be hoping they would play a fearless brand of cricket.
SRH Playing XI vs RR: Kane Williamson likely to open, Who will partner the Kiwi at top? – Follow SRH vs RR Live Updates
What will be the opening combination for SRH- With Warner and Bairstow gone, Williamson will not just need to marshal his troops but also deliver the goods with the willow. With two set opening batsmen gone, the Kiwi is expected to promote himself up the order and open the innings for SRH. But the question remains, who is going to pair the Kiwi at the top?
Left-Right Combination or Right-right combination?– A strong prospect to open the SRH batting alongside Williamson is Abhishek Sharma. Sharma has come up through the ranks of the franchise and will now be required to
On the other hand, SRH’s new recruit Rahul Tripathi will be another strong contender to open the innings. Tripathi has already displayed some blistering knocks at the top for KKR and can be another option for Williamson to opt for.
SRH Playing XI vs RR:
1. Abhishek Sharma
2. Kane Williamson
3. Rahul Tripathi
4. Aiden Markram
5. Nicholas Pooran
6. Abdul Samad
7. Washington Sundar
8. Romario Shepherd
9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
10. T Natarjan
11. Umran Malik
SRH Playing XI vs RR: Kane Williamson likely to open, Who will partner the Kiwi at top? – Follow SRH vs RR Live Updates
How will SRH deal with Rashid Khan’s absence? – Although the absence of Rashid Khan will be a major void, SRH has been aware of the glaring gap ever since the auctions. The presence of young Washinton Sundar in the squad will help SRH’s cause, and the youngster will have to shoulder the crux of spin responsibilities.
Speaking on the same lines, SRH spin-bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan revealed, “I feel that Washington is India’s leading off-spinner in limited-overs cricket right now. He’s the future of Indian cricket. I’ll take proper care of him.”
Commenting on Rashid’s influence in the team, the veteran spinner said, “Rashid is a great bowler and an amazing person to work with. We wanted to retain him at a high price, but he wanted a better offer. That’s completely fair. We’re a bit disappointed because we don’t have him in our team. We tried our best [to retain him], but Ahmedabad [Gujarat Titans] gave him a better contract. I wish him all the best for his new journey.”
IPL 2022 SRH Full squad- Kane Williamson, Abdul Samad, Umran Malik, Washington Sundar, Nicholas Pooran, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Karik Tyagi, Shreyas Gopal, Jagadeesha Suchith, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Romario Shepherd, Sean Abbott, R Samarth, Saurabh Dubey, Shashank Singh, Vishnu Vinod, Glenn Philips, Fazalhaq Farooqi
SRH Playing XI vs RR: Kane Williamson likely to open, Who will partner the Kiwi at top? – Follow SRH vs RR Live Updates