3 players SRH were right to release ahead of the IPL 2023 auction
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) released as many as 12 players ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
Four overseas players and eight domestic cricketers were let go of by the Orange Army, who currently have 12 players on their roster. The remaining players are capable of making up a decent playing XI for SRH, who will have the room to greatly improve their team strength on December 23 with a massive purse of ₹42.25 crore.
Here are three players SRH were right to release ahead of the IPL 2023 auction.
#3 Sean Abbott
Sean Abbott ended up playing one match for SRH in IPL 2022, in which he conceded 47 runs in his four overs while picking up one wicket. Kane Williamson and Co. opted to field Marco Jansen and Fazalhaq Farooqi when they needed an overseas pacer, with the Aussie warming the bench for most of the campaign.
Abbott might be a decent T20 all-rounder, but he's probably a rung below the requirements of an IPL franchise. He isn't particularly quick and also isn't dependable with the bat, and the odds of his selection in an IPL playing XI have always been skewed. The Aussie has been in and around his country's T20I side without being able to nail down a spot.
It was totally understandable that SRH let Abbott go, since they not only have better options on the bench but also the funds to go after a more complete contributor in the IPL 2023 auction.
#2 Romario Shepherd
When SRH bought Romario Shepherd for ₹7.75 crore in the IPL 2022 mega-auction, it seemed like a panic purchase caused by missing out on their other targets. The all-rounder played three matches for the franchise, scalping three wickets at an economy rate of 10.89 and scoring 58 runs.
Shepherd obviously didn't do enough to convince the management that he was worth his price tag, and they wisely decided to release him. The West Indian doesn't offer much at the death and has his limitations in the batting department. He might earn an IPL contract this time around too, but it definitely won't be in the same financial ballpark.
#1 Kane Willliamson
The biggest decision SRH made ahead of the IPL 2023 auction was to release skipper Kane Williamson, who was taking up ₹14 crore of their budget. The Kiwi batter's T20 game has clear holes in it, and Hyderabad were hampered by his slow starts in the powerplay during the 2022 season.
There was no way Williamson earning as much as he did for IPL 2022 would've been justifiable, and his release wasn't met with too much shock. There are several other dynamic overseas batters SRH could target, even at the cost of missing out on the New Zealand captain's astute leadership and calmness.