Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) might possess one of the most balanced squads going into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction on December 19; however, their on-field performances were far from impressive in the previous season. The 2016 IPL champions, SRH finished last on the points table in the 2023 edition, with 10 losses and just four wins. Too many experiments, lack of effective leadership, and an inexperienced short-format coach contributed to an underwhelming IPL 2023.
For the new season, former New Zealand cricketer Daniel Vettori was brought in place of Brian Lara. This is SRH’s fourth head coach since 2019. Vettori was previously the head coach at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), from 2014 to 2018, leading RCB to the final in 2016 where they lost to SRH.
Going into the IPL 2024 auction, the Sunrisers have shown faith in their core team from the previous season, retaining 19 players for Rs 66 crore. They have six slots available, with a place for three overseas talents, and a purse of Rs 34 crore – the second-largest among all sides.
SRH’s retained players list for IPL 2024
Abdul Samad
Abhishek Sharma
Aiden Markram
Anmolpreet Singh
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Fazalhaq Farooqi
Glenn Phillips
Heinrich Klaasen
Marco Jansen
Mayank Agarwal
Mayank Markande
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Rahul Tripathi
Sanvir Singh
Shahbaz Ahamad
T. Natarajan
Umran Malik
Upendra Singh Yadav
Washington Sundar
Released players:
Harry Brook
Samarth Vyas
Kartik Tyagi
Vivrant Sharma
Akeal Hosein
Adil Rashid
SRH’s strategy for IPL 2024 auction
While the SRH team appears strong on paper, there is room for improvement in certain areas. The foremost concern for SRH lies in securing a proficient spinner to address the void created by the departure of Rashid Khan and, more recently, with the releases of Adil Rashid and Akeal Hosein. They do have Mayank Markande, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, and Glenn Philips, who can roll their arm over when needed, but the presence of a formidable full-time spinner would add an extra layer of strength to the team.
The primary choice may lean towards Wanindu Hasaranga (base price Rs 1.5 crore) from Sri Lanka, who was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Alternatively, Mohammad Nabi (base price Rs 1.5 crore) from Afghanistan stands out as a plausible option. If the team opts for a local spinner, they can bid for Hrithik Shokeen, Murugan Ashwin, or Shreyas Gopal.
Another way to fortify the unit is by enhancing their pace battery of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, and Umran Malik. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan, both of whom are now over the age of 30, have demonstrated susceptibility to injuries. On the other hand, Umran Malik, despite his potential, delivered a relatively underwhelming performance in IPL 2023, securing just five wickets in eight games.
SRH possesses the purse to acquire a prominent bowler like Mitchell Starc (base price Rs 2 crore) or Gerald Coetzee (base price Rs 2 crore). Alternatively, if they opt for Indian players, Shardul Thakur (base price Rs 2 crore) and Harshal Patel (base price Rs 2 crore) stand out as viable options within their budget.
In the batting department, the Sunrisers spent Rs 13.25 crore on Harry Brook – nine times his base price – but could not get the desired contribution from the Englishman. He scored 190 runs in 11 matches. However, the management can bid for him again but at a lower price this time. Otherwise, New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell (base price Rs 1 crore), who had a stellar 2023 ODI World Cup, also fits the bill perfectly. Among Indians, Shahrukh Khan (base price Rs 40 lakhs) and Urvil Patel (base price Rs 20 lakhs) can be on SRH’s radar.
Overall, there aren’t too many concerns with the Sunrisers’ squad, but getting backups and finding the ideal playing 11 should be the priority for the management at the IPL 2024 auction.
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