IPL Auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad review: Possible best XI, strengths and weaknesses

After a forgettable Indian Premier League 2021 campaign, where they finished at the bottom of the table with just three wins from 14 games, Sunrisers Hyderabad had their backs well and truly against the wall.

David Warner, arguably their biggest match-winner for many years, had faced an unpleasant exit. While Rashid Khan, their trump card with the ball, was picked up by the Gujarat Titans.

Hyderabad needed a a fresh start and they got going by building a coaching staff full of big names. Head coach Tom Moody and spin bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan will now be supported by Brian Lara (batting coach), Dale Steyn (fast bowling coach), Simon Katich (assistant coach) and Hemang Badani (fielding coach).

IPL Auction 2022: From Kishan and Iyer to Chahar and Archer – full list of players signed by teams

And at the IPL 2022 mega auction too, the Sunrisers showed plenty of intent and went on to nearly exhaust their purse (they had Rs 10 lakh remaining at the end). Ishan Kishan was the most expensive player at the auction as Mumbai Indians got him for Rs 15.25 crore, but SRH were in the race for him too and put forth a bid that was as high as Rs 15 crore.

Nicholas Pooran was eventually the most expensive buy from SRH at Rs 10.75 crore, with Washington Sundar (Rs 8.75 crore), Rahul Tripathi (Rs 8.5 crore), Romario Shepherd (Rs 7.75 crore) and Abhishek Sharma (Rs 6.5 crore) next on the list.

Possible best playing XI

Sunrisers Hyderabad retained three players before the auction – Kane Williamson (Rs 14 crore), Abdul Samad (Rs 4 crore) and Umran Malik (Rs 4 crore). The New Zealand batting great has completed seven years at the franchise and is set to lead them once again in the upcoming season.

Strengths

With Warner’s consistency as an opener, the top order was a strength for Hyderabad for a long time. And looking at their possible playing XI going forward, it seems they will continue to depend a lot on their top four batters.

Kane Williamson is one of the most dependable batters in world cricket and having him at one end will continue to give SRH stability. Aiden Markram, at Rs 2.6 crore, was a solid buy as the South African can take on the new ball and also contribute with his off-spin bowling, as was evident in the recent series against India.

Then there is Rahul Tripathi. His price tag of Rs 8.5 crore may seem extravagant to some, but it’s worth remembering that the right-hander played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders reaching the final last year. He can be explosive from the get-go and it will hardly be a surprise if he plays some crucial knocks for the Sunrisers too.

Finally, Pooran, who is now the most expensive West Indian buy ever at an IPL auction, could prove to be a game-changer in the middle order. The left-hander has struggled for consistency over the years but there’s no denying the firepower he brings to the table. He can attack both spin and pace and fortunately for SRH, he has been among the runs of late in international cricket.

Weaknesses

Middle order runs was a constant struggle for Hyderabad in the last couple of seasons. They relied too heavily on youngsters many a times and failed to close out games they should have won. And this time too, it seems they are left with a squad that doesn’t have enough firepower for the death overs.

Romario Shepherd was an important late addition as SRH out-bid Rajasthan Royals. The West Indies all-rounder tends to bat with a high strike-rate and could provide some cushion lower down the order. But SRH could be taking a gamble if they rely on Washington Sundar, Abdul Samad and Abhishek Sharma at 5, 6 and 7.

Muralitharan, in an interview with Sportskeeda, said that the team is looking to use Sharma as an opener with Williamson. If that is the case, Markram could be moved down and that will give the middle order some much-needed experience.

“We want Abhishek, [Priyam] Garg and Samad to contribute heavily and become the faces of the team going forward,” said the Sri Lankan legend.

However, this leads us to the next concern for Hyderabad. If Sharma and Samad are certainties in the XI (SRH have spent a total of Rs 10.5 to acquire the youngsters), it could lead to a weakened spin attack. Washington will likely bowl four overs, with Markram and Sharma being the others who could provide overs of spin. That is two off spinners and one left-arm spinner. Hyderabad might eventually call upon the wrist spin of Shreyas Gopal and again, that will affect the balance of the batting order.

Lastly, Hyderabad don’t have the most promising pace attack either. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead that department and he hasn’t been at his best over the past year. Then there is young Kartik Tyagi who played just four games in IPL 2021 and hasn’t played a single top level match since. T Natarajan has an impressive IPL record but he too is working his way back after a lengthy period away from the game.

As of Friday, according to a News Corp report, Katich is unlikely to be the coach of the franchise after disagreements regarding the management’s plans. It is just another sign that things are not exactly going per plan for the franchise that was once regarded as one of the most well-run ones.

Who’s saying what

Muttiah Muralitharan: “We have got a very young team, we’ve got a lot of youngsters in our side. We’re looking at the future as well. We are not only thinking about the next season, but also keeping an eye on the next season. That is why we have bought a team where age is on our side. So, that will help us in the future.”