'Smart' isn’t always the word one would associate with Sunrisers Hyderabad's IPL auction pickings in the recent past, but the Orange Army do have a few things to boast of after the team's bids and buys at the 2023 IPL auction in Kochi on Friday.
For starters, SRH went into the auction with the largest purse of Rs 42.25 crore - in large parts thanks to their decision to part ways with former captain Kane Williamson who wasn’t quite clicking in this format.
While an SRH executive table from previous years would’ve probably put up the paddle at every opportunity of a big name, considering their purse, at this particular auction, however, they were calculative and measured. Despite the occasional resorting to old habits on a few occasions, they stuck to what looked like a methodical plan and ended up reinforcing their squad with all the assets that they needed.
That’s not to say that they didn’t splurge though. The 2016 IPL winners chalked out a whopping Rs 13.25 crore on IPL debutant Harry Brook, which many think may have been an overpriced buy. Sunrisers’ Rs 5.25 crore acquisition of South African keeper Heinrich Klaasen also raised some eyebrows when arguably better options were available for less.
With that being said, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of it all and take a deeper look at how many boxes have been ticked at the end of the auction:
Where Does Harry Brook Slot In?
One of the funniest moments from the IPL 2023 auction was during the first Set when Rajasthan Royals, operating on an overall budget of Rs 13.25 crore, bid as high as Rs 13 crore on one man - Harry Brook. Eventually, they got saved by the Sunrisers' paddle but that just goes to show how high the demand was for the 23-year-old English batter who will be making his IPL debut in 2023.
Having made his international debut in January of this year, Brook has played 20 matches in his relatively fledgling career but has already made a giant impression. He has hammered 372 runs at a strike rate of 137.77 and it was his performance on the pitches of Pakistan which may have convinced several teams of his ability in the subcontinent. Brook had made 238 runs in six innings at an average close to 80 and had a strike rate higher than 163 in that series.
A Batting Unit Spoilt For Riches
Following the acquisitions of Brook, Mayank Agarwal (Rs 8.25 crore), and Heinrich Klaasen (Rs 5.25 crore), the SRH batting unit certainly looks spoilt for riches. They have able fast-bowling hitters in Mayank Agarwal, Abhishek Sharma up top, suitable spin-playing batters in Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen and finishers in Rahul Tripathi, Abdul Samad and Harry Brook.
What is even more encouraging for the side is the fact that having a strong Indian bowling contingent also allows them to play more overseas batters and all of Brook, Klaasen, Markram, and Glenn Phillips could be competing for as many as three spots in the middle order.
SRH Have Packed Quality in Both Pace and Spin Bowling
Going into the auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad terribly needed a quality spin bowler to support Washington Sundar from the other end and more importantly, to fill in the shoes of their former star Rashid Khan.
They have made two smart overseas purchases for base prices in Adil Rashid (Rs 2 crore) and Akeal Hosein (Rs 1 crore). England have consistently used Rashid to exert control in the middle overs in this format of the game. He has an economy of 7.42 bowling during this period in T20Is and more importantly, has taken 75 wickets in his career.
Akeal Hosein, meanwhile, possesses an even better economy rate of 6.66 in between overs 7 and 15 and his bowling is more defensive in nature. He also bowls a high percentage of dots (38.3%) during the middle overs.
These purchases will only complement what was already a brilliant pace-bowling unit for Sunrisers, to begin with. The Indian contingent of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan, and Kartik Tyagi possess experience, searing pace, ability to bowl yorkers, composure at the death and ability to strike with the new ball. On top of that, they also have South African Marco Jansen and Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi.
On paper, it seems that SRH will opt for the all-Indian pace bowling contingent and utilise either Adil Rashid or Akeal Hosein as an overseas slot which will allow them to reserve three overseas slots for their batting needs.
A look at Sunrisers Hyderabad's full squad after the 2023 IPL auction.
(Gfx: The Quint)
Lack of Clear Captaincy Candidate a Minor Hindrance
It was interesting to hear SRH bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan’s assessment in between the IPL auction as the former Sri Lankan spinner suggested that they felt disappointed to not get Ben Stokes. After shelling out Rs 13.25 crore for Brook, their purse was stretched thin and Muralitharan confirmed that they had planned on going all out for Stokes ahead of the auction.
The thinking behind that could be two-fold. Stokes is one of the most brilliant genuine pace-bowling all-rounders in the world and his skillset is rare in this format. SRH do not have any single player with his skillset in the team at the moment.
More importantly though, they were looking at him from the leadership side of things as the team needs a captain following Kane Williamson’s departure. As of now, the likely candidates are Bhuvneshwar Kumar as well as former Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal.
Conclusion
Sunrisers Hyderabad have ticked every box that a proper T20 side needs to function at the highest level: pace-hitters, spin-players, finishers, gun pacers, defensive spin, wicket-taking spin, death overs bowlers.
The think tank have not only been able to arm the potential starting XI with a variety of skillsets, but also have enviable quality on the bench, resulting in depth. The only question mark arises from the lack of a clear leader but SRH also have the players with the necessary experience to carry out the role.
Sunrisers Hyderabad likely Playing XI: Mayank Agarwal, Abhishek Sharma, Harry Brook, Aiden Markram, Rahul Tripathi, Heinrich Klaasen (wk)/Glenn Phillips (wk), Washington Sundar, Akeal Hosein/Adil Rashid, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad: Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kartik Tyagi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, Heinrich Klaasen, Adil Rashid, Mayank Markande, Vivrant Sharma, Samarth Vyas, Sanvir Singh, Upendra Yadav, Mayank Dagar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Akeal Hosein, Anmolpreet Singh.
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