3 SRH players who should be released after a poor IPL 2023
Ahead of IPL 2023, a huge number of pundits had the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as their favourites to win the tournament. One can't blame them because on paper, it seemed like the franchise had all the resources to give the other teams a run for their money.
However, the Aiden Markram-led side have failed to live up to the expectations that people had from them. They could only manage to win four out of their 14 games in IPL 2023 and ended up with the wooden spoon. SRH's poor run this season was down to their star players' letting the team down.
Ahead of IPL 2024, the franchise might look to change the make-up of their side to solve the issues that have plagued their campaign this year. Here, we look at three players that SRH should release after the season:
#1. Harry Brook
The Sunrisers spent a hefty sum of INR 13.25 crore to procure the services of Harry Brook. However, their investment has not borne the desired results in IPL 2023. In 11 games this season, the 24-year-old batter has scored only 190 runs at a disappointing strike-rate of 123.38. It's worth noting that he scored a century against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which has made his numbers look respectable.
Harry Brook ends his #IPL2023 season with a first-ball duck 😮
es.pn/IPL2023-M69 #MIvSRH https://t.co/8Xya4yyKL3
That innings aside, he has scored only 90 runs in 10 innings which is absolutely terrible for a player of his caliber. The Sunrisers also changed their batting order multiple times to fit Brook into the side but to no avail. It caused a lot of instability and turbulence and SRH never really recovered from all that.
As such, it should not come as a surprise if the Sunrisers decide to release him. They might even look to get him back at the auction ahead of next season, for a lower price.
#2. Mayank Agarwal
Another huge purchase, Mayank Agarwal has also had a torrid season. In 10 games, he could only manage 270 runs at an awful strike-rate of 128.57 with a high-score of 83. His knock of 83 in SRH's last game vs MI have improved his numbers, which look terrible otherwise. SRH would have expected more from someone whose services cost them INR 8.25 crore.
Overrall in the IPL, Mayank Agarwal has been around for a long time but barring a couple a couple of seasons, he has been disappointing. He performed well in a couple of seasons which bolstered his reputation but his overall numbers are not impressive. He has an average of 23.02 over a career of 123 games and pundits have caught that.
At 32, Agarwal is not a long-term investment either, which could promt the SRH management to release him after IPL 2023.
#3. Abdul Samad
Abdul Samad has played 34 games in the IPL, all for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, he has failed to make good use of the opportunities that he has been given. He was chosen to fulfill the role of a finisher but he has been largely disappointing. SRH's inconsistency in selection has not helped his cause either.
In the three years that he been with the franchise, perhaps Samad's biggest contribution to the side is the fact that he convinced them to have a look at Umran Malik. However, the Sunrisers management might not have too much patience left and thus, Samad being released into the auction pool should not come as a surprise.