Sunrisers Hyderabad has the smallest purse in this year’s auction, so let us look at the possible priority area to address on February 18.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) made a terrific comeback at the back end of the last IPL tournament after enduring an underwhelming start to the season. They managed to claw themselves back in the qualifiers by going on a strong run in the final third of the campaign.
In 2021, SRH will be looking to go that extra mile to win the trophy by delivering consistent performances throughout the two-month period. They have retained a bulk of the squad for next season, but there are a couple of areas that need addressing during the IPL auction.
Released: Sanjay Yadav, B Sandeep, Billy Stanlake, Fabian Allen, Yarra Prithviraj
Retained: David Warner (c), Abhishek Sharma, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreevats Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Abdul Samad, Mitchell Marsh, Priyam Garg, Virat Singh
Remaining Purse: Rs 10.75 crores
Additions to the middle order and Indian bowling department
SRH was ravaged by injury issues last season. Mitchell Marsh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed big parts of the tournament due to injuries. It is these two positions that SRH needs to addressing even though Marsh and Kumar are back to complete fitness now.
In terms of an all-rounder, SRH can really do with a player that can score quick runs and be reliable with the ball. There are two foreign slots open in the squad, so one of those slots can be occupied by the all-rounder. Chris Morris will be the perfect fit for SRH. RCB will be looking to get him back, but SRH should not hesitate to go toe to toe with them for his signature. His accurate bowling last season helped RCB to qualify for playoffs, and Morris is equally capable of hitting balls out of the park lower down the order. He will compliment young batsmen such as Samad and Garg in that batting unit.
SRH probably has the best group of Indian bowlers. Finding one more quality young bowler will be difficult for them in the current auction. However, a good backup for Bhuvneshwar Kumar would help them to manage his workload throughout the tournament. Umesh Yadav could be a handy rotation option for SRH during the auction if they have enough money to spend after buying an all-rounder or else someone like Mohit Sharma could also be a decent option to have in the squad.
SRH has a strong spine to challenge for the title
David Warner has been a talismanic batsman and captain for SRH ever since he joined the franchise in 2014. He has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the IPL for a long time. Along with him and Bairstow, SRH has a strong opening combination. Kane Williamson solidifies the middle order, but the team management will have to choose between him and Bairstow for few games when they want to play an all-rounder and Rashid Khan.
Garg and Samad had a good experience in IPL last season. They will get even better this season after that experience. Manish Pandey provides experience in the batting unit. The bowling unit is also rich with Indian talent. Khaleel Ahmed provides the x-factor with his left-arm seam bowling, while T. Natarajan has been a revelation in the past five months. Both left arms add variety to the bowling unit along with Rashid Khan and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. SRH has a very complete squad and with two additions during IPL, they will be in pole position to challenge MI.