New hopes come with a new season. As they kick off their season against the somewhat new-look Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday afternoon, there are great hopes that the Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad can duplicate or surpass their success from the previous year. “There’s more excitement when there are expectations,” coach Daniel Vettori stated.

Under the astute direction of the seasoned Cummins, SRH saw a change in fortunes in 2024. After finishing last in the 10-team standings in 2023, SRH dominated the 2024 season until falling to the Kolkata Knight Riders in the championship game.

Cummins, who has a stellar record as an Australian captain, was the soothing force behind SRH’s incredible run. After the Test series against India, Cummins is competing in his first major competition while recuperating from an ankle injury. Cummins and Nitish Kumar Reddy both performed well during the practice sessions, according to Vettori.

With the acquisition of the small left-hander Ishan Kishan, SRH has become the most explosive hitting lineup at the top. Last season, they possessed the most dangerous hitters in Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen. Vettori said that the batting order will not be altered. Vettori said, “Kishan will complement the openers.”

In addition to these four aggressive hitters, SRH has Abhinav Manohar, a recent addition, and Reddy. In the middle order, the Karnataka hitter is renowned for his powerful swing. With his performance in the just finished five-Test series against Australia, which featured a century in Melbourne, Reddy, who earned the emerging player award the previous season, reached a new high.

However, there has been a little change in the bowling department, as two-time Purple Cap champion Bhuvneshwar Kumar is not there. After playing for SRH since 2014, Bhuvneshwar has joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Vettori said, “It is a big shoe to fill,” but emphasized that shrewd Mohammed Shami, who was brought in this year, is entering the competition having performed well in the Champions Trophy. Along with Cummins and Reddy, SRH has a sharp and targeted assault thanks to the addition of Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa and utility all-rounder Harshal Patel.

Rahul Dravid is the head coach of RR, who have a redesigned squad. Dravid has his work cut out for him now that he is back in the IPL team. Sanju Samson, who would not serve as captain for the first three games, expressed their happiness at Dravid’s return. “I haven’t skipped any games. “The team looks good, and Dravid is our coach,” he remarked.

Jos Buttler of England, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, who are spinners, and Trent Boult, a left-arm seamer from New Zealand, have all been cut from the squad. Sanju Samson is currently recuperating from an injury to his right index finger. “We have new players and new ideas. It’s fantastic to have so many young guys since the IPL always presents obstacles,” Samson said.

RR will be led by Riyan Parag.
Since Samson can only bat, RR had to declare Riyan Parag, the captain of Assam, as their captain for the first three games. It’s interesting to note that 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi is RR’s youngest player and 23-year-old Parag is their youngest captain. “Young Parag is ready and prepared,” said Samson. Additionally, we have acknowledged Suryavanshi’s unique potential, and he is under the capable guidance of Dravid.

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s batting prowess at the top will be relied upon by RR. In addition to Parag and Shimron Hetmyer, Dravid’s other key batting players include Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Rana. Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, the successful spin twins from Lanka, have been brought in by RR.