Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) sought several dynamic batters and bought useful bowlers who could do the job in the IPL 2025 auction.
After a revolutionary IPL 2024, the IPL 2025 auction came at the worst time for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). They had a settled unit, with most bases covered, but had to break their combination.
Still, they were clear about their plans and retained five players before the auction, keeping their big hitters and the captain. Even during the auction, SRH sought several dynamic batters and bought useful bowlers who could do the job.
Finally, their squad looks decent, with improvements from the previous season in a few departments. They probably didn’t want the IPL auction at this time but would be pleased with their efforts to assemble a strong unit.
Pat Cummins, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa, Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Simarjeet Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, Wiaan Mulder, Kamindu Mendis, Aniket Verma, Eshan Malinga, Sachin Baby
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Every IPL side has a few loopholes, and Sunrisers Hyderabad are no different. While they have formed a quality unit, SRH have a few issues that are too glaring to ignore.
While Ishan Kishan is a quality player, he might be a misfit in SRH XI for multiple reasons. His best position is at the top while opening the innings, but SRH have two set openers in Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, leaving no place for Kishan.
He is known for utilising the powerplay overs and providing brisk starts because his innings construction and strike-rotating ability are not as high. Last year, he had an average of 13.50 and a strike rate of 120.89 while playing 32.8% of dot balls outside the powerplay.
Further, he has serious issues against high pace and can be easily cramped with hard lengths. SRH might slot Kishan at No.3, but he averages a mere 19.63 and strikes at 120 in 11 IPL outings at this position.
So, his batting in the middle overs doesn’t look promising, especially after the recent downfall. His inclusion makes the top-order one-dimensional, with all LHBs in the top three, another issue in Kishan’s acquisition.
Sunrisers Hyderabad have bought Mohammed Shami as a powerplay specialist, and he might do his job consistently. However, the question arises who partners him with the new ball?
If Pat Cummins decides to share the new ball, SRH are left without an enforcer in the middle overs. While Harshal Patel can give a few overs, he doesn’t hit the deck and mostly relies on variations to construct his over.
At this stage, Cummins’ best bowling value is in the powerplay, where he can move the new ball and bring wickets upfront. His partnership with Shami will make SRH a solid powerplay outfit as a bowling group, but that will leave a massive space in the middle overs.
With the pitches getting flat, especially in Hyderabad, an enforcer is necessary more than ever. The enforcer should bowl at a high pace and target the body consistently.
While Cummins can bowl at any stage, he can’t operate in both phases and needs to keep a few for the end overs. So, SRH might have missed a trick by not getting another quality speedster for one of these departments.
While Sunrisers Hyderabad bought two good leg spinners in Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar, they didn’t focus on getting a solid finger spinner. They have the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, but these two can be vulnerable on flat surfaces since they are not regular bowlers.
Kamindu Mendis is another part-time spinner of SRH’s squad, but he is unlikely to play in the XI due to other big names in the overseas department. They had the likes of Shahbaz Ahmed and Aiden Markram in the previous cycle, who were clearly a massive upgrade.
SRH had a chance to sign a finger spinner when Brydon Carse was injured, but they went for another pace-bowling all-rounder, Wiaan Mulder. So, the reliance will be high on Abhishek and Travis to fill in as matchup bowlers, which can backfire big time.
They should have had at least one genuine off-spinner who contributes with the willow to balance the side. SRH had a chance to fill this area once Brydon Carse was ruled out, but they preferred Wiaan Mulder, another pace-bowling all-rounder.
Someone like George Linde would have been a great fit, especially with his improved batting value. Filling this gap is impossible since SRH don’t have enough part-time options for this category either.
By slotting Nitish Kumar Reddy at No.3, SRH will break the chain of LHBs and put Ishan Kishan at a number he has previously played. Kishan has 594 runs at an average of 28.28 and a strike rate of 129.97 in 23 IPL innings, including three fifties.
Kishan can take on spinners, and his role should be to unsettle slow bowlers by taking them on right from the start. Even though it isn’t the best use of Kishan, SRH should now look at how they can maximise his presence, and he is a big no at No.3.
He should come at No.3 only when a wicket falls inside the first three overs because he can exploit the field restrictions. While Nitish also has issues against high pace, he is still more capable than Kishan and a better spin player, making him an ideal No.3.
To solve the powerplay and middle-over issues, SRH should play Simarjeet Singh, who is ideally suited to be an enforcer. If we look at the squad composition of SRH, they don’t really have any other genuine new-ball bowlers apart from Shami and Cummins.
That will also allow Cummins to bowl in his strong area, with the new ball since he can move it early on. Meanwhile, Simarjeet has the pace and can bowl hard lengths in the middle overs, as he did for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the previous cycle.
He is a genuine speedster with a knack for picking wickets and knows how to operate in the middle overs. He is best suited for this role among the available options now that Brydon Carse is no longer part of the squad.
Lastly, SRH should play Adam Zampa as their second spinner with Rahul Chahar and ignore Wiaan Mulder. Mulder can be wayward at times and doesn’t have enough skillsets to remain economical on flat surfaces for now.
Meanwhile, Zampa is among the finest white-ball bowlers in world cricket who bowls immaculate lines and lengths and has found ample success for Australia. He can form a solid partnership with Chahar to cover the middle overs.
While that doesn’t solve the finger-spin issues, Zampa brings quality and can be among the wickets. Even Chahar hasn’t done anything significant in the previous two seasons, so SRH need a wicket-taker in the middle overs to cover up for the finger spinner’s absence.
Due to the lack of finger spinners, SRH can’t afford lower quality in the wrist-spin department and need wickets from them. The best way to do that is by playing both wicket-taking options – Adam Zampa and Rahul Chahar – in the XI so that wickets come more often, even if at the expense of a few runs, which will happen anyway due to the lack of solid finger spinners.
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