The #IPL2020 extravaganza over half a month to go and the player auction, the think tanks of all the eight franchises will have their targets set on specific players. #SunrisersHyderabad (SRH), who were knocked out of the marquee tournament in playoffs in 2019, will be keen on ironing out the flaws from the previous outing to go a step further next year. Set to take the field under Kane Williamson’s leadership once again, the Orange Army will be hoping to fill in certain gaps in their squad for the upcoming edition.
The Hyderabad-based franchise released Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Deepak Hooda, Ricky Bhui, and Martin Guptill earlier this month and will be taking part in the auction with a purse value of Rs 17 crore. SRH retained players:
Overseas players: Kane Williamson, David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Billy Stanlake
Indian players: Manish Pandey, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Abhishek Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Shahbaz Nadeem, T Natarajan, Khaleel Ahmed.
Here, we take a look at two possible areas where SRH will be looking for bankable additions to pitch in.
#1 Backup for Warner and Bairstow
In IPL 2019, the Sunrisers relied heavily on the opening pair of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow to score the majority of the team’s runs. While the prolific duo did manage to give the team dream starts on numerous occasions, the unit was left exposed once Warner and Bairstow departed for their respective national duties. With Martin Guptill and other replacements failing to fill in the boots, the team was dealt with a major blow that hampered its chances in the tournament.
Come the auction for IPL 2020 and the owners will be looking to rope in overseas players who can come to the team’s rescue in the absence of its big guns. Some of the options available: Evin Lewis, Colin Munro, David Miller, Chris Lynn, Dawid Malan
#2 Depth in Indian batting talent
SRH’s season in 2019, for the best part, was lit up by the belligerence of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow. The camaraderie between the Australian and the Englishman had formed a dream partnership for Hyderabad at the top of the batting order and went on to win several games single-handedly. Post their departure, the onus was taken upon by skipper Kane Williamson and Indian star Manish Pandey who managed to score runs in a few innings.
However, an issue that continued to haunt the side’s fortunes in the tournament was that of the lack of depth in Indian batting options. With the likes of Vijay Shankar, Yusuf Pathan, Deepak Hooda and Ricky Bhui failing to justify the selectors’ faith in them, the Orange Army was left wanting for runs from their Indian batting resources.
The franchise will be keen on replenishing its Indian batting talent to bolster its chances in 2020. Some of the options available: Dhruv Shorey, Hanuma Vihari, Robin Uthappa, Manjot Kalra. #KhabarLive
