Bhuvneshwar on par with Bumrah in ODI cricket: Irfan

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan has heaped praise on the bowling attack of Sunrisers Hyderabad saying they have performed well even without their pace spearhead Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.

"Sunrisers Hyderabad...the way they have performed without Bhuvneshwar, who is a big bowler... According to me, in the Indian team, if anyone is at par with (Jasprit) Bumrah in ODI cricket, it is Bhuvaneshwar Kumar," Irfan said when asked which is the strongest attack in this Indian Premier League.

"And the way they (SRH bowlers) have performed without him in the last 2-3 matches, it is a big thing...," he added.

"They have fast bowlers -- Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma -- but no big international name in their pace department...Only Rashid Khan (from Afghanistan) and Shakib (Al Hasan). But the way they have bowled is impressive.

"But with limited resources, the young boys are bowling well in right areas and doing well and so Sunrisers Hyderabad," Irfan explained on why he rated the SRH bowling attack highly.

Bhuvneshwar has been affected by a niggling back injury and has missed the last 3 games for the SRH.

Despite his absence, SRH have defended low totals, one against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium here and also against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.

The 33-year-old former pacer also praised young Mumbai Indians leg-spinners Mayank Markande, who has been the find of the tournament and has clicked since his first game against the Chennai Super Kings.

"One thing for a leg-spinner is to bowl in right areas and he (Markande) is bowling consistently in the right areas. A leg-spinner has variations, but to have the control and to bowl in the (right) areas is not an easy task and this boy has done that," the former pacer, who was part of the inaugural World T20, which had India won, added.