HS17 Team Preview: Aapka Time Aayega
Captain: Sree Sankar
HS17 didn’t have it easy in their freshie year. They found themselves in a group which had two teams which went on to play the finals last year. They had a horror tournament, losing both the group stages by huge margins. But, this time around, they have a very good chance of progressing to the Semi Finals as they find themselves in the company of teams coming from similar backgrounds. However, to make it count, they need to find the right combination with the bat and ball.
Last Year’s Story: Knocked Out in Group Stage
Up against HS14 in their first match, they conceded 155 runs in 10 overs at a run rate of 15.5. It was a highly indisciplined bowling performance with a staggering 33 extras signifying the lack of control. Suraj, who completed his 3 overs for 27 runs and 3 wickets, was the only bright spot for them with the ball. In reply, none of the HS17 batsmen got going and the innings crumbled to a total of 77. A huge defeat of 78 runs was the result.
The second match was a carbon copy of the first match. HS13, led by a superb innings by Sannihit, set a mammoth target of 163 for the freshie team. Again, Suraj was the only bright spot in the bowling performance, conceding only 31 runs in his 3 overs. A dismal performance followed with the bat, where Suraj’s 33 managed to earn some kind of respectability to the innings. This time, the margin of defeat was higher.
The Team
During the preview show of an ICC World T20 match involving Pakistan, Sourav Ganguly made a comment about Shahid Afridi : “I would bat Afridi at number 11 in my team. You know why? I can understand a Batsman getting out caught at Long On. But, I can never accept a batsman getting caught at Long On in the very first ball he is facing.” Ganguly was pointing to the need for Afridi to not get carried away by his power and shot making ability. This is true for HS17 Captain Sree Sankar as well. He is the most impactful batsman in their lineup and has the ability to win matches single handedly with his fire power. But is he taking the responsibility? Apart from Sankar, the team has a handful of solid batsmen in their ranks like John, Suraj, Manjith and Bala. This is a batting lineup which is capable of putting up competitive totals more often than not.
Even though they are not short of bowling options, bowling is their biggest concern. Suraj, John, Manjith and Sankar are their lead bowlers. As the Captain, Sankar needs to delegate roles for each bowler, making a tactically aware call as to which bowler should bowl at different stages of the innings. Also, it would be great if they can control the runs leaked in the overs bowled by the girls. HS17 would want to bring down their overall economy rate from 16 to at least 12, to give themselves a chance of winning matches.
Player to watch out for
John Sabu Mathew, famous in insti circles for his Football skills, is my Player to Watch Out For in HS17. In the only practice session he participated in this season, he impressed everyone with his allround abilities. A batsman capable of switching gears, a bowler who can strangle the batsmen and a fielder equally adept at ground fielding and catching, John is an asset for any limited overs cricket team. How Sreesankar uses his skills is going to be very crucial for HS17’s campaign.
Final words
HS17 doesn’t have to defeat any of the tournament favorites to progress to the Semi Finals in this edition. This is surely their chance of making it big. Aap Ka Time Aayega, HS17!
Article by Biyas Muhammed
Article 19 