Prior to the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League, the Sunrisers Hyderabad seemed to have their affairs in order. In isolation, there were glaring weaknesses but those were usually offset by David Warner’s brilliance. Hence, when the Australian underwent a barren patch, SRH simply couldn’t cope.
They retaliated by dropping the Australian, reinstating him and ultimately asking him to stay at the hotel while SRH inched towards mediocrity. As the end of that season dawned, it became clear that the SRH-Warner nexus was no longer going to work, meaning that they had plenty to do at this year’s IPL auction.
At the start, it seemed as if SRH were just not interested in buying players. They didn’t bid much for any marquee player and were content to let the auction pass them by. Somewhere in between, though, something started to click.
They got their mojo back for a while and made purchases that had an SRH imprint all over them. They re-acquired Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan – bowlers who have, for a variety of reasons, not scaled the peaks they are capable of, lately.
They pushed hard for Washington Sundar, perhaps to establish a strong Indian core and were quite successful at that too. Aiden Markram, Kartik Tyagi and Rahul Tripathi are also marvelous signings, considering their age (in Tripathi and Tyagi’s case) and the rare skill-set they bring to the table.
The eyebrows, however, were raised when they splashed the cash for Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd. Pooran, despite his extraordinary ability, has flattered to deceive in the IPL, whereas Shepherd is a relative greenhorn in these surroundings. Marco Jansen, especially in T20 cricket and at INR 4.2 crore, is a gamble too.
They also spent INR 6.5 crore on Abhishek Sharma – a cricketer who has previously been a part of their setup but hasn’t done anything to justify that price tag.
In a microcosm, this auction showed two sides of SRH. While they were largely excellent with their scouting of local talent and the prices they paid, they perhaps went a little overboard with their overseas players. That no one really knows how this team will function in unison is emblematic of the topsy-turvy auction they put together.
Sunrisers Hyderabad squad
Foreign batters: Aiden Markram and Kane Williamson (C)
Indian batters: Priyam Garg, R Samarth and Rahul Tripathi
Foreign wicket-keepers: Glenn Phillips and Nicholas Pooran
Indian wicket-keeper: Vishnu Vinod
Foreign all-rounders: Marco Jansen and Romario Shepherd
Indian all-rounders: Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Shashank Singh and Washington Sundar
Foreign fast bowlers: Fazalhaq Farooqi and Sean Abbott
Indian fast bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Dubey, T Natarajan and Umran Malik
Indian spinners: J Suchith and Shreyas Gopal
Strong area: As always, SRH’s bowling attack looks a tough nut to crack. Bhuvneshwar and Natarajan haven’t been in great form lately but each has a point to prove. Tyagi and Umran, on the other hand, are probably two of the most exciting Indian pacers on the circuit. Shreyas Gopal is a wily customer and should enjoy bowling alongside these tearaway quicks
Area of concern: At the cost of sounding redundant, SRH don’t have a stable middle-order. Pooran and Shepherd can rip any bowling attack to shreds on their day. Those days, though, have been few and far in between. Markram is a calming presence but hasn’t showcased the ability to single-handedly win games in the IPL so far.
Their Indian contingent is slightly better with Tripathi in the scheme of things but it still pales in comparison to what other teams possess. Courtesy of that, they have again landed in a situation where their fortunes are largely dependent on how Williamson performs at the top of the order.
Best buy: Rahul Tripathi (INR 8.5 crore)
Worst buy: Abhishek Sharma (INR 6.5 crore)
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