3 SRH players who are on overpriced contracts for IPL 2023

The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have a number of players on cut-price deals ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Their work in the auction was promising as they acquired proven domestic performers without eating away too much at their budget.

Even ahead of the auction, SRH had a few names on their books for meager amounts. The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan, who are set to earn a combined ₹8.2 crore, have been the pillars of the bowling lineup.

Other names on the roster, however, have quite literally failed to live up to their billing. Here are three SRH players who are on overpriced contracts for IPL 2023.

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#3 Abdul Samad

Abdul Samad was retained by SRH ahead of the IPL 2022 mega-auction. Being an uncapped player, he belonged to the ₹4 crore bracket and has been retained for that amount ever since.

Samad has shown glimpses of his immense ability, but he has done nothing to live up to either his price tag or his potential. He averaged 12.33 at a strike rate of 127.58 in the IPL 2021 season and played just two games last year.

The big-hitting batter has been unable to make an impact with his part-time leg-spin too, having bowled only 54 balls in his career.

Samad is gradually improving, something that is evident from his performances in domestic cricket. However, without a single notable performance, it's safe to say that ₹4 crore seems a bit steep.

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#2 Harry Brook

Pakistan v England - Third Test Match: Day Four

Harry Brook was SRH's most expensive purchase at the IPL 2023 auction. Many thought the Orange Army would go after one of the premier pace-bowling all-rounders on offer, but they opted to sign the dynamic English batter instead.

Brook is one of the brightest talents in world cricket. He has range all around the ground and ticks most of the boxes needed to be a successful T20 batter. The right-hander is also slowly proving himself in franchise leagues and in international cricket across formats.

However, Brook is completely untested at the IPL level, and ₹13.25 crore for a player who has featured in only 20 T20Is seems excessive. The 23-year-old still has some work to do on his spin game, and consistency isn't something that comes easily in the shortest format.

SRH have taken a big gamble by shelling out so much money for him.

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#1 Mayank Agarwal

New Zealand v India - ODI: Game 1

In another big signing at the IPL 2023 auction, Mayank Agarwal was snapped up by SRH for ₹8.25 crore. The Indian batter joins the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi in the top order.

There's no doubting what Mayank is capable of at his best, but he hasn't been at his best for a while now. He endured a poor campaign at the helm of the Punjab Kings in IPL 2022 and has several shortcomings in his game.

The opening batter is primarily a spin-hitter like Abhishek and might not complement the young southpaw very well.

SRH are also a touch short on all-rounders, so why they opted to cough up ₹8.25 crore for Mayank is a question only they can answer. The 31-year-old might be named the franchise's captain, though, in which case his price tag would make more sense.