Sunrisers Hyderabad have strongest bowling attack in IPL: Faulkner

Mumbai: Australian all-rounder James Faulkner feels Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have the strongest bowling attack in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the likes of in-form pacer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and leg spinner Rashid Khan in their rank.

“I think the strongest one (in term of bowling attack) has to be Sunrisers (Hyderabad). Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has been in great form for a couple of IPLs, (so) that will be my number one,” the 27-year-old Faulkner said.

“And the wrist spinner, who is the best in the World in T20s?” he said, referring to Khan, the Afghanistan leg spinner who has grabbed two wickets from three games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in this edition of the cash-rich event.

Sunrisers also have bowlers like Siddarth Kaul, while Deepak Hooda and Mohammad Nabi act as part-time bowlers for the IPL franchise.

Faulkner rated Mumbai Indian’s (MI) bowling attack as the “second best” in the tournament, saying they have two good death bowlers.

“Mumbai have got two good death bowlers (Jasprit Bumrah and Mustifizur Rahman), they are probably the (number) two (second best),” he opined.

While the Sunrisers bowlers have performed to their potential, MI pacers and spinners struggled in their initial matches, which they lost, before dishing out a clinical performance last night when they defeated Royal Challengers Banglore here.

Faulkner, an expert with ESPN Cricinfo, also backed India and Mumbai Indians pacer Bumrah, saying one needs to understand that the he bowls in the “hardest” overs.

“It is very unfair to say he (Bumrah) is out of form.

When you start your career, people tend to look at you a bit more.

“He bowls the hardest overs, he bowls the death overs, in the Indian team as well. Any day where he goes under 40 runs, he has a good day. The media has been harsh on him, they (have) to understand he is bowling the hardest overs,” said the Australian, who picked 36 wickets in 24 T20 games.