Similar to other successful teams like Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), SRH has also managed to keep a strong core. Sunrisers Hyderabad won their maiden and only IPL title in 2016 by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Since that year, they have always qualified for the playoffs. One could say that they have been a bowling-heavy side, which isn’t wrong by any means but they have also had one of the strongest top orders in recent times, courtesy of players such as Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow. The only area in which SRH can be criticized is the middle order. Throughout the years, they have had a weak middle order which is holding them back in being more dominant, especially during the playoff stages against more balanced sides.
Let us now take a look at their all-time best XI:
David Warner:
David Warner has been a mainstay of SRH’s top order. He has the skill to pace his innings to perfection. Similar to Mumbai Indians, Warner also has an affection for odd years. He has won the orange cap in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 editions of the IPL. The left-handed batsman has been playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2014. He has also represented Delhi Daredevils for five seasons in the IPL. His best season with the Daredevils was in 2013 when he scored 410 runs. He also scored two centuries for DD which prompted SRH to splash the cash on the Sydney-born batsman. Warner has been one of their best batsmen since joining SRH. He has scored 500+ runs in each season for the Orange Army. In 2016, Warner scored 848 at an average of 60.57 as SRH stormed their way to a maiden IPL trophy. Warner was banned in 2018 due to being involved in the ball-tampering debacle. On his return to the IPL in 2019, he scored 692 runs in just 12 innings at an average of 69.20. This led to fans calling him “Comeback Man”. Warner is the top scorer of SRH of all time. He has scored 4702 runs in IPL history which makes him the highest-scoring foreign player. He has scored these runs at an average of 43.17 at a rate of 142.39. He also holds the record for most half-centuries in IPL.
Shikhar Dhawan:
Another left-hander in this lineup is David Warner’s long-time partner in crime, Shikhar Dhawan. The veteran formed a tremendous duo with Warner at the top of the order. Both of them have the dual ability to either go all out or to pace their innings depending on the situation. Shikhar Dhawan holds the record for hitting the most number of fours (boundaries) in IPL history with 701 boundaries to his name. Dhawan has had a very illustrious IPL career. He is the fourth-highest scoring Indian batsman of all time. He has played for a lot of teams such as Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils/Capitals and Deccan Chargers but he spent the prime time of his career with Sunrisers Hyderabad. He played for SRH from 2013 to 2018 during which he scored 2768 runs in 91 innings. His stint at SRH can be divided into two parts. In the first 3 years, he scored around 300-400 runs each campaign. In the last 3 years, he scored close to 500 runs each season which also included the 2016 campaign in which SRH lifted the trophy. His stint at Sunrisers Hyderabad also coincided with the years during which he became a very important batsman for the Indian national team. Dhawan has currently played for Punjab kings and has scored decent runs in this Ipl.
Also Read | All-time best RCB XI in Ipl history
Kane Williamson:
Kane Williamson is another reason why Sunrisers Hyderabad have had such a strong top order. Part of the famed ‘Fab Four’ along with Virat Kohli, Steven Smith and Joe Root, the Tauranga-born is one of the coolest customers around the circuit. He joined SRH in 2015 and has been with the team ever since. He has had to spend his fair share of time on the bench to accommodate other foreign players, but he has shone whenever he has been allowed to do so. His most fruitful campaign came in 2018. David Warner was set to miss the season because he was banned. Kane Williamson was elected as the new captain and he led the team from the front. He scored 735 runs in 17 matches as SRH made it to the finals. His average that season was 52.50 and the runs came at a very good strike rate of 151.47 which isn’t a feature of his batting. His orange cap in the 2018 edition of the IPL means that an SRH batsman won the orange cap in four out of the last five campaigns, which is clear proof that the team is not over-reliant on their bowling. Williamson has a brilliant temperament and immense composure and he is the perfect man to anchor an innings in any team, let alone in an all-time SRH XI.
Jonny Bairstow:
The Englishman got the first taste of the Indian Premier League in 2019. The Sunrisers Hyderabad bought Bairstow for INR 2.2 crores even though he was going to leave the tournament midway for the World Cup preparation camp. He did not disappoint the team management and the fans. He was the highest run-getter for the Hyderabad-based franchise after David Warner. While Warner was in a different league altogether and scored close to 100 runs more than the second-placed KL Rahul. Therefore, Bairstow was the SRH’s best batsman after the exceptional Warner. Jonny scored 445 runs in 10 innings at an average of 55.62. His brilliant strike rate of 157.24 was another highlight of his run in the tournament. He also registered a century against RCB, thus becoming the first SRH wicket-keeper to do so. Currently was also part of Punjab kings squad in Ipl 2022. He played some really good knocks in this Ipl.
Also Read | All-time Best MI XI in Ipl history
Manish Pandey:
A stylish batsman, the Karnataka-born right-handed batsman scored an unbeaten 114 for Royal Challengers Bangalore and wrote down in his name in IPL history by becoming the first Indian to score a century in the competition. He has also played for teams such as Mumbai Indians, Pune Warriors India and most importantly Kolkata Knight Riders. He was acquired by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a sum of 11 crores which made him their most expensive buy in the 2018 IPL Player Auction and the Sunrisers instilled faith in him by retaining him for the 2020 edition too. As mentioned earlier, SRH has had issues with their middle order and Pandey was bought for the exact reason. He has scored 628 runs in 24 innings during his two seasons with the Sunrisers Hyderabad at a solid average of 33.05. His debut campaign for the Sunrisers Hyderabad was lackluster, to say the least as he failed to live up to the hype created by not only his price tag but also by his performances while playing for KKR. In 2019, he scored 344 runs in 12 innings and saw his season average increase from 25 to 43.
Yuvraj Singh:
Yuvraj Singh was one of the icon players when the IPL started in 2008. He has played for various teams such as Kings XI Punjab, Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians. At the 2014 IPL auction Royal Challengers Bangalore bought Yuvraj for an all-time high price of 14 crore INR and, in 2015, the Delhi Daredevils bought him for 16 crore INR making him the most expensive player ever to be sold in the IPL. Yuvraj’s best seasons in the IPL came in 2009, 2011 and 2014 for KXIP, PXI and RCB respectively but considering the middle-order batsmen that Sunrisers Hyderabad has had, Yuvraj Singh stands out. He played two seasons for the Orange Army and scored 488 in 21 games scoring at a good strike rate of 137.07. He is also handy with his off-spin bowling and he is a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room. The southpaw was a part of Sunrisers Hyderabad during the 2016 season. There he scored 38 runs from 23 balls in the final against his former team Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Also Read | All time best KKR XI in Ipl history
Moises Henriques:
Moises Henriques is a forgotten man in the IPL. He was one of the most important players for the Sunrisers Hyderabad during the season they won the title. Following a year-long stint at various teams such as Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore, Henriques finally found some much-needed game time at SRH. The Aussie all-rounder was drafted by SRH in 2014. He has scored 755 runs for the franchise which makes him the fourth-highest run scorer for the team. He has also picked up 28 wickets, 23 of which came in 2015 and 2016 which means he could have easily taken more wickets if he was utilized more in the bowling department. Due to his strong displays, he became a cult hero among the SRH faithful. He primarily played at the top order for SRH, but his versatility means that he can slot in the middle or lower middle-order if required. Another reason why he was a part of this team is that SRH has been criticized for two reasons i.e weak middle order and lack of quality seam bowling all-rounders. Henriques solves both those problems.
Rashid Khan:
Rashid Khan, arguably the world's best leg-spinner, would lead the SRH spin attack in the team's all-time XI. The Afghanistan leg-spinner has an exceptional record for the Hyderabad team. Khan has scalped 55 wickets for SRH in the IPL. His average of 21.69 and an economy rate of 6.55 are both the best among all SRH bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 250 deliveries in the competition. Rashid Khan has the second-best economic rate in the history of the IPL, behind only Shaun Pollock (6.54). The young Afghanistani player can also strike some lusty blows with the bat down the order. His strike rate of 165.07 is ample proof of his ball-striking ability.
Bhubaneswar Kumar:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is by far Sunrisers Hyderabad’s best bowler. He has picked up 109 wickets in just 86 matches. Bhuvi is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who swings the ball both ways efficiently. He used to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Pune Warriors India, but just like many players in this XI, joined Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bhuvi has been one of the most consistent bowlers in the last decade. The Meerut-born pacer picked up 20 wickets in his debut campaign for SRH but the best was yet to come. He followed that campaign by taking 18 dismissals in 2015. Bhuvneshwar won the purple cap as he took 23 wickets in 2016 when Sunrisers Hyderabad won the IPL. The peak of his career was in 2017 as he picked up 26 wickets in just 14 matches at a mind-blowing average of 14.19. With exceptional control of line and length and swing bowling, Bhuvneshwar is one of the top threats for opening batsmen across the circuit. Overall, Bhuvi has taken 154 wickets in 117 matches in his IPL career which makes him the highest wicket-taking Indian pace bowler. He is the sixth highest overall. He has a brilliant economy rate of 7.24, which is the least for an Indian fast bowler.
Amit Mishra:
Amit Mishra is a legend of the IPL. He is currently the 2nd highest wicket-taker in IPL history. The leg-spinner is one of the most aggressive spinners as he tempts the batsman to go after him which leads to him picking up crucial wickets. He has played every season of the IPL and has played his cricket in two cities: Delhi, for both Delhi Daredevils and Delhi Capitals and Hyderabad, for both Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He picked up 30 wickets in those two campaigns. Another spinner who might feel hard done by for missing out in this XI is fellow leggie, Karn Sharma. Amit Mishra purely makes the XI because of his lower economy rate, better strike rate and better average during their respective careers at SRH. If you compare their overall stats, Mishra is the superior one. Amit Mishra is the only bowler in IPL history to take three hat tricks. His 3rd hat trick came for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013 while playing against Pune Warriors India. Mishra is also the highest Indian wicket-taker in IPL history. His best season for SRH came in 2013 as the leg spinner took 21 wickets. At 37, he remains a vital cog in the Delhi Capitals machinery with his deceitful leg spin.
Siddharth Kaul :
Kaul was a part of the U-19 team which won the world cup in Malaysia under Virat Kohli’s leadership. For the IPL’s inaugural season, a number of youth players from the U-19 team were chosen to play for their local teams. Kaul was chosen by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Kaul has also represented Delhi Daredevils in the past but has been a regular member in the Sunrisers squad since 2017. He has picked up 49 wickets in IPL career, 43 of which have come whilst donning the orange kit of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. His 43 scalps make him the 3rd highest wicket taker for SRH, just behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan. One drawback of his bowling is that he concedes runs at a rate of around 8.50 runs per over, but this could also be because batsman target him instead of going after bowlers like Rashid and Bhuvi. He made his ODI & T20I debuts for India in 2018. Kaul is more than a handy bowler in the shortest format of the game and is one of the key bowlers in the Sunrisers set up. Although his economy rate is towards the high side of the spectrum, he balances it out by picking up important wickets. His best outing for SRH came in 2018 as he picked up 21 wickets at a strike rate of 18.85.
