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The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) had a miserable campaign in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) as they finished dead last on the points table despite having a mighty squad on paper.
SRH then entered the 2024 auction with a big purse at their disposal and were one of the most active franchises on Tuesday, December 19. They snapped up six players, making the second-most expensive signing apart from quality additions in all departments.
SRH's squad after the IPL 2024 auction: Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Heinrich Klaasen, Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Yadav, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Sanvir Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, T Natarajan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan.
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Hyderabad are now spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting their best XII. Their overseas contingent, which is made up of eight players who can definitely be part of the starting side, particularly complicates matters.
Here is SRH's strongest playing XI, along with their impact player candidates, after the IPL 2024 auction.
Openers: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal
Travis Head was one of SRH's biggest signings at the IPL 2024 auction. While he can bat in the middle order, he isn't the most secure batter against spin and hard lengths, making him an ideal candidate to open.
However, can SRH afford to play him at the top of the order? Their frontline domestic batters - Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Mayank Agarwal and Anmolpreet Singh - are all openers. Using up an overseas slot at the top will not only dilute in the middle order, where the specialists are non-Indian, but also reduce the possibility of fielding the best all-rounders.
So despite the kind of form Head is in, he might not be part of SRH's best side. Abhishek and Mayank are both primarily spin-hitters and don't make a particularly enciting combination. However, using them lower down hasn't produced the desired results for a sustained period now.
Despite clear arguments against the same, SRH's ideal opening partnership could be Abhishek and Mayank, with the middle order featuring overseas batters not from Australia.
Middle Order: Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Marco Jansen
Rahul Tripathi could slot in at No. 3. The dynamic batter, who had a disappointing campaign in 2023, will want a turnaround in his fortunes.
Heinrich Klaasen is a sure starter in the side, given the kind of form he has been in as well as his prowess against both pace and spin. He will also serve as SRH's wicket-keeper.
The SunRisers have secured the signing of Pat Cummins for an exorbitant amount, and the Australian has been named as a potential captaincy candidate. Aiden Markram didn't produce the desired results in IPL 2023 and also openly went against the team management while talking about Umran Malik's exclusion.
However, Cummins' T20 game is heavily under the scanner, and there are doubts regarding both his economy rate and his wicket-taking ability. The 30-year-old is arguably the worst T20 player among all eight of SRH's overseas contingent, and it's easily acceptable that he won't find a place in their strongest side.
So Markram should ideally be at the helm of the franchise for another season, with Cummins being on the bench. The South African is adept at countering both pace and spin, and can offer a part-time bowling option if needed. He has also proven himself to be an astute leader in franchise and international cricket.
Glenn Phillips has been in sensational touch lately and is one of the most exciting cricketers in the world. It would be a travesty to leave him out, but SRH might have to prioritize Markram over the explosive Kiwi.
Finally, we get to the all-rounders department. Marco Jansen should be an easy pick ahead of Cummins. The left-armer doesn't have death bowling value, but he has just about everything else - swing with the new ball, hard lengths in the middle overs, and big hits with the bat.
Wanindu Hasaranga has the least convincing case to be part of SRH's side in IPL 2024. The leg-spinning all-rounder hasn't made an impact with the bat at the top level, and his bowling and general match awareness have let him down on several occasions.
Despite that, though, Hasaranga could turn out to be a match-winner for SRH if used properly. Having a player like him to give insurance in both departments could fire the Orange Army to playoff success, if he turns up as his best version.
If SRH play both Hasaranga and Jansen, they will have bowling options of all varieties in their XI. They can afford to play another leg-spinner in Mayank Markande alongside the former while having the latter as their fourth fast bowler.
Playing Phillips or Head ahead of Hasaranga would boost SRH's batting. However, their reluctance to use Abhishek with the ball, combined with question marks over the form of T Natarajan and Umran Malik, could make them focus on the bowling instead.
Lower Order: Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan
Having released Kartik Tyagi, SRH's pace attack should be easy to pick. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik and T Natarajan should be the frontline fast bowlers. While the death bowling would be heavily dependent on Natarajan and doesn't look solid, the SunRisers don't have many options at their disposal.
Washington Sundar, with his batting lower down the order and off-spin, should also play an important role for SRH in IPL 2024. Markande could come off the bench as an impact player.
By already having a leg-spinner in Hasaranga in the side, SRH could use either a fast bowler or a batter as the impact player ahead of Markande if needed. Such a side would give them the most versatility while not compromising much on both departments.
SRH's strongest playing XI after IPL 2024 auction: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Wanindu Hasaranga, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik.
SRH's impact player candidates after IPL 2024 auction: Mayank Markande (frontrunner), Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Akash Singh.
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