The Sydney Thunder have kicked off the 2019/20 edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) on a promising note, with wins in their opening two games. This is certainly an excellent start, considering the absence of Shane Watson and Fawad Ahmed. 

Ahmed opted to make a move to the Perth Scorchers during the pre-season, emerging as a massive blow. The Sydney Thunder have been reliant on him for picking up crucial wickets. However, the spinner’s absence has hardly been felt so far, following sublime performances from Chris Green and Arjun Nair. The duo have stepped up and made their presence felt.

Green’s excellent performances further saw him land a maiden gig in the IPL with the Kolkata Knight Riders, who purchased him for his base price. At the same time, they also enjoy the presence of young leg-spinning rookie Tanveer Sangha, who can certainly baffle even the best of batsmen with his variations.

The Sydney Thunder batting lineup further comprises of experienced campaigners like Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson and Alex Hales. They have all made their presence felt in the games so far, which will be a source of confidence for the fans.

Squad Analysis of the Sydney Thunder:

Let’s take a look at the key players in the squad, who will certainly play a key role in the Thunder’s quest for glory: 

Top-Order:

Usman Khawaja: Khawaja has been in and out of the Australian squad lately. He was also left out of the recently announced Australian squad to tour India. He will be determined to strike form and make a comeback to the national team. Khawaja has always been consistent in the BBL, and in fact, loves playing for Thunder.

Alex Hales: The pressure is on Hales to prove his worth and make a comeback to the England team. He had a poor run of form in the Mzansi Super League (MSL) before smashing a 97*(55) in his last game. Hales will relish these Australian pitches where the ball comes on to the bat nicely. Big season ahead of him, to prove he deserves a place in the England squad.

Englishman @AlexHales1 looked right at home in Geelong last night! 68 from 38 #ThunderNation pic.twitter.com/Q6vOjHeoDd

— Sydney Thunder (@ThunderBBL) December 19, 2019

Callum Ferguson: One more domestic run machine who didn’t get many chances at the highest level. Ferguson will be a key player for Thunder, with this young squad and he should lead from the front.

Alex Ross: He will be playing in the middle order and will look to finish off games for Sydney Thunder. Ross is a very good player who scores freely in the middle overs.

Chris Green: With the departure of Fawad Ahmed, Green is now the senior spinner in the squad. He will be very crucial as he can bowl in the Power Play, stem the run flow in the middle and pick some crucial wickets. Green is also very handy with the bat which the Thunders might need to win some games.

Lower-Order:

Daniel Sams: The left-hand pacer has shown what he is capable of doing in the last season. Sams’ hitting ability down the order should help Thunder post huge totals on the board.

Chris Morris: Sydney Thunder will be missing Chris Morris in the season opener, nonetheless he’s a very good inclusion to the squad. Morris is in very decent form in the MSL both with the bat and the ball. He is the senior pro in the team and should be able to control the opposition batsman in the Powerplay and at the death. Morris’ attacking stroke play coming in at 6/7 would be a big bonus for the Thunder.

Chris Tremain: With Gurinder Sandhu injured and out for the initial few games, the onus is now on Tremain to lead this pace attack. He can hit the deck hard and pick wickets in the powerplay.

Arjun Nair: Nair can bowl some very good offies and further smash the ball if needed. Nair’s ability to score some quick runs makes him a suitable option as a floater depending on the team requirements.

Best Possible XI: Khawaja, Hales, Ferguson, Ross, Gilkes, Sams, Morris, Green, Nair, Tremain, Sangha.

Written By: Karthik Rao.