With 18 points in the 11 games, Sunrisers Hyderabad hasn’t just has sealed a place in the play-offs; it looks to finish in the top two.
A top-two finish rewards a team for consistent and dominating performance throughout the league with two chances to reach the IPL final.
Firstly, the top two teams compete for the place in the final. The winner goes straight into the showdown, while the loser plays the winner of the match between the third and fourth-ranked teams for the second spot in the big dance.
Hyderabad completely deserves that given the fact they were handicapped before the tournament even began, as David Warner was banned from appearing in the IPL after the ball-tampering saga. Warner was the team’s leading run-scorer in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
In the 2016 final Warner played a captain’s knock to guide the Sunrisers to IPL victory. No doubt Warner was the backbone of the team, and his absence will surely put the squad’s chances in jeopardy, especially with Billy Stanlake, their main weapon in the bowling department, ruled out through injury.
This is where Kane Williamson comes in – a guy who spent last year warming the benches and who was not even the first pick in the team had the chance to lead the squad. Captaining the side’s defence of a low score time and time again time and carrying the team must have been tough, but Kane was the shining light Hyderabad needed.
(AFP Photo / Marty Melville)
From carrying the batting to marshalling the troops on the field, Kane has displayed emotions he never had before in victories for his national team. With 493 runs comprising six half-centuries, Kane has been a man on a mission.
Hyderabad has gone from underdogs to contenders to win the IPL, and don’t be surprised if they lift the trophy in the final.
But a serious question for the franchise awaits next season when Warner comes back: should they hand back the captaincy to him or do they persist with Willamson? Given Warner’s exploits in the IPL, it should be a no-brainer for him to get back to his team.
But what about Willamson? Will there still be room for him once Warner gets in? With only four overseas player in the team, can he make the cut? Even if Kane does play, which spot does he plays in?
Will Warner really be match fit for the rigour of the IPL? Wouldn’t it be tough on Warner to expect him to carry the same legacy and same momentum from this year when he is coming back after the biggest low of his career?
These are tough decisions, but Sunrisers Hyderabad will have to be up for it.
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