Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) stand in a position where they don’t want to break the combination but must make a few harsh decisions.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were the second-best team during the previous edition, coming second to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final. However, they played an exciting brand of cricket, with their batters going for an all-out attack from the first delivery.
They formed a solid unit by buying a couple of quality players in the auction and announcing a new captain, Pat Cummins. A few tweaks did wonders for him, and the team played like a well-oiled machine throughout the competition.
However, having a quality side with too many top-class players is always an issue ahead of the mega auction. SRH stand in a position where they don’t want to break the combination but must make a few harsh decisions.
Heinrich Klaasen: Heinrich Klaasen should be SRH’s first retention at any cost. Klaasen is a terrific player of pace and spin and a quintessential middle-order batter. Further, he also keeps the wickets.
If he comes into the auction, his value will be a lot more than the previous one when he just went for INR 5.25 crores. Almost all teams will go after him since he is also in terrific form. Expect SRH to keep him.
Pat Cummins: Pat Cummins changed SRH’s fortunes in his maiden stint as an IPL captain. Not only that, he also bowled well with the ball, considering how high-scoring the last season was, especially in SRH matches. He took 18 wickets at 31.44 runs apiece – the second-most for SRH after T Natarajan.
It’s simple – Cummins will again be in demand if he comes into the auction. Now with captaincy credentials to back, his value will only surge. Hence, SRH should persist with him as a captain.
Abhishek Sharma: Abhishek Sharma carved a niche for himself as an uncapped player in a team dictated by overseas players. Opening the innings, Abhishek was a revelation and played a key role in making SRH an attacking side. He utilised the powerplay to provide brisk starts and bowled a few overs on helpful decks.
After a fantastic last season, his value will be massive and can fetch a handsome amount in the auction. So, SRH should slot him in the third slot and give him INR 11 crores, to which he should agree. He is a long-term investment and will only get better with time.
Travis Head: Travis Head formed one of the most dynamite opening partnerships with Abhishek Sharma when there were doubts about whether he could replicate international success in IPL. His opening provided a new life to the batting unit, for he set the tone from the top. His presence also helped Abhishek find his true game.
After his heroics in the last season, Head’s value will be higher in this mega auction, and SRH might not be able to get him back. Hence, they should simply keep him as the fourth retention. There’s a high possibility of his price being close to or higher than the retention slab during the auction.
Nitish Kumar Reddy: SRH might find themselves unlucky that Nitish Kumar Reddy is capped just before the retention deadline. However, they should still look to retain him in the capped category section. An all-rounder with such a massive potential will always be in demand, especially given he is also a long-term investment.
His auction price will be exaggeratedly high due to his dual value, especially since he is a pace-bowling all-rounder. Instead, SRH should retain him at one of the slots, given he will serve them for years to come. Such generational players should be preserved, and SRH have the best option to keep him.
Abdul Samad: Abdul Samad might look like a surprising name, but SRH can retain him. Samad is a true pace-hitter and capable of batting in the lower order. Generally, finishers are hard to find, but Samad showed encouraging signs last season and has some experience after playing a few IPL seasons.
SRH can retain him as an uncapped player, which will cost only INR 4 crores. His auction price might also be somewhere near it. SRH will get a solid lower-order batter who knows how this franchise operates.
Aiden Markram: Aiden Markram joined SRH with high hopes but couldn’t really succeed. He was also made the captain of the side, but the team went nowhere under his tenure. His personal performances were also massively underwhelming.
To retain him as an overseas player doesn’t make any sense. SRH have several options to look at. Expect them to release Markram.
Marco Jansen: Marco Jansen has massive potential. But like Markram, his performances were also largely mediocre. To spend an amount as high as the retention slab won’t be wise.
If SRH want, they can re-bid for him in the auction. He will come at a reasonable price.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: This might be a hard decision to make, but SRH must leave Bhuvneshwar Kumar, their oldest player. Last year, he showed signs of regression and is no longer an elite operator. He hasn’t been playing consistently at the highest level, which means there’s no guarantee that the returns will be the same.
Further, he is also ageing. So many things are against him, which means he shouldn’t be retained ahead of the mega auction. If his price is low, SRH can re-bid for him in the auction.
T Natarajan: To leave out such a quality operator in all phases won’t be easy, but SRH have to make this decision. They have a problem of plenty. The mentioned players should be retained, leaving no place for T Natarajan.
Maybe he would have made a case if he were uncapped. That doesn’t mean SRH shouldn’t re-bid for him. They should go as hard as possible after him during the auction and get him back.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
