Wriddhiman Saha, Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) wicketkeeper-batsman, has endured a lackluster start to the Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL) season. He has been dismissed for 7 and 1 in the two innings Saha has batted in IPL 2021. While he continues to remain one of the best, if not the best, wicketkeepers in the country, it's his performances with the willow that may prove to be a hurdle for his match time.
(IPL 2021, MI vs SRH Live Score)
As David Warner-led SRH prepare to take on five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) for their third game of the season at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, doubts continue to loom over the Bengal player's selection. Moreover, his record in Chennai doesn't speak in his favour either.
Saha has the third-lowest batting average on the venue in the IPL. His 20.00 average after 13 games and 160 runs is marginally better than Dwayne Smith's 18.50 and Ravindra Jadeja's 17.38.
Also, his strike-rate of 111.11 in Chennai in the IPL is the fourth lowest in the same list.
{{/usCountry}}Also, his strike-rate of 111.11 in Chennai in the IPL is the fourth lowest in the same list.
{{/usCountry}}So, what can do to solve Saha's inconsistency?
There is one solution to eliminating Saha's subdued run. In the last season, even though Saha only played four matches, he scored 214 runs at a blistering strike-rate of 139.86 and registered a healthy average of 71.33. The key to his success was opening the innings as the non-striker.
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So far in IPL 2021, Saha faced the first delivery. But his track record shows he's more successful when he is not taking first strike. Not only has he scored more runs at No.2, but also scored them quicker and with more consistency. His boundary percentage is much higher too.
The ideal solution for Warner would be to start Saha at No.2 against Mumbai Indians, a franchise he loves batting against. He has scored 348 runs against MI in the tournament at an average of 43.50. His feat includes four fifties and his best score as an opener has come against MI -93 in 2017.