IPL 2021: Aakash Chopra predicts Sunrisers Hyderabad starting XI

Renowned commentator Aakash Chopra has predicted Sunrisers Hyderabad’s probable playing eleven for the forthcoming IPL season.

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Renowned commentator Aakash Chopra has predicted Sunrisers Hyderabad’s probable playing eleven for the forthcoming IPL season. The fourteenth edition of the league is scheduled to start on April 9. The first clash of the mega event is between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai. SRH will open their IPL campaign on April 11 against the Eoin Morgan-led team Kolkata Knight Riders. Sunrisers Hyderabad will play their first five matches of the season in Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

David Warner and Co. will be eyeing their second IPL title since winning their inaugural one in 2016. The Orange Army came close to winning it in 2018 but lost to Chennai in the final game. Last year, Sunrisers Hyderabad made it to the playoffs, where they lost to runners-up Delhi Capitals in the second qualifier. SRH has a solid team for IPL 2021 and is definitely capable of going far in the tournament.

Saha should partner David Warner at the top of the order: Chopra

And as they gear up to start their IPL season, Aakash Chopra has predicted their perfect playing XI. The former Indian batsman began by confessing that it is challenging to select SRH’s opening pair. He then picked wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha to partner Australian star David Warner at the top of the order. He opted for this opening pair taking into consideration they're fine performance with the bat last year.

For the middle-order, Chopra went with Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, and Kedar Jadhav for the 3rd, 4th and 5th positions, respectively. For the sixth place, the commentator stated that SRH has multiple options. They could pick one from Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, and Abdul Samad. He also reckoned that Virat Singh could also be an option for them.

For the bowling unit, Chopra began by picking Afghanistan duo Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. Explaining the reason behind electing two spinners and leaving out fast-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder, Chopra stated that SRH would play their first few games in Chennai and Delhi, and those venues are likely to assist spinners. He completed his team selection by picking three fast-bowlers T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Sandeep Sharma.

IPL 2021: Aakash Chopra’s SRH XI:

David Warner, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma.

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David Warner Aakash Chopra Eoin Morgan Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2021