The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is only a couple of days away and the buzz has been on the fifth gear. The franchises are in the final leg of their preparations and finalising their playing XI for the tournament. Ahead of the start of the tournament, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra picked his ideal playing xi of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, Chopra has earned a name for himself with his sharp analysis. Sunrisers, who last won an IPL title in 2016, will be hoping to win their second title. The David Warner-led side has quality players in their ranks and will be a difficult task to choose their playing XI.
All eyes will be on young Virat Singh
Aakash Chopra picked the hot opening duo of Warner and Jonny Bairstow as the opening pair. Both cricketers will be joining the set-up with some competitive cricket under their belt which will give them a good start in IPL. Ever reliant Manish Pandey will come at No.3 followed by the three dimensional Vijay Shankar.
The youngster from MS Dhoni’s state, Virat Kohli will play the role of a finisher. The youngster, who is playing his first-ever IPL will be one of the uncapped players to watch for in the competition. Virat had a fabulous domestic season and will want to emulate at the big stage.
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Afghanistan’s duo – Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan will be the heart of Sunrisers Hyderabad line-up. Both of them had an outstanding CPL and will want to deliver the goods in the UAE.
On the other hand, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will continue to lead the pace attack. Young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed will partner him with the new ball while one between Sandeep Sharma and Siddarth Kaul will be the third fast bowler.
Although the side doesn’t look hot favourites to win IPL 2020, they can stun many other franchises. Hyderabad are one of the most consistent teams in terms of performance and they will once again look to hold the game high.
They begin their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on September 21 (Monday).
Ideal Sunrisers Hyderabad playing xi of Aakash Chopra
Jonny Bairstow, David Warner, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg/Abhishek Sharma/Abdul Samad, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul/Sandeep Sharma