IPL 2020: 3 players SRH might regret letting go of
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) enter the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the same core as last season.
Their big names such as David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan are still key parts of the team, and the management went out of their way to secure young Indian talent in the 2020 IPL auction.
SRH acquired the services of Abdul Samad, Virat Singh and Priyam Garg, all of whom are upcoming players with immense potential. The Orange Army also bought all-rounders Fabian Allen and Mitchell Marsh, who might not play very frequently but will still be quality back-ups.
Players SRH might regret letting go of ahead of IPL 2020
SRH released only 5 players ahead of the 2020 IPL auction, and the list had some big names in it. Perhaps the biggest release was that of the banned Shakib Al Hasan, whose suspension ends on October 29.
Here are 3 players SRH might regret letting go of ahead of the 2020 IPL.
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#3 Martin Guptill
The fact that a world-class white-ball player like Martin Guptill has gone unsold in 5 different IPL auctions is a perplexing one, to say the least. The opener has played only 13 games in the IPL, with his latest franchise being SRH last year.
Given just 3 games, Guptill scored 81 runs at a superb strike rate of 152.83, but he was released ahead of the 2020 IPL auction by SRH. The Kiwi, who is one of the world's best fielders and limited-overs openers, even went unsold in the 2020 IPL auction.
Guptill is simply too good to not play in the IPL, and will add value to any side he is part of with his experience and dynamism at the top of the order. The 33-year-old could have also been a dependable backup to the likes of Warner and Bairstow, who might miss the first week of the IPL.
SRH might regret letting go of Guptill without really giving him a fair chance to show them what he is capable of.
#2 Yusuf Pathan
Yusuf Pathan's ouster was probably due to SRH's emphasis on bringing in young talent, and his abysmal IPL 2019 campaign wouldn't have done him many favours. In 10 games, the Baroda man managed just 40 runs with a highest score of 16.
These numbers, however, don't tell the whole story, as he batted very low down the order and had 5 not outs to his name. On his day, Pathan is as destructive a batsman as anyone, and his experience would definitely have helped the young players in the franchise. Moreover, his useful off-spin would have added some variety and balance to the SRH lineup in the UAE.
Pathan is a tried-and-tested IPL veteran, and his knowledge of the team's functioning and how to handle pressure situations would've been invaluable in a tournament that will see unprecedented safety protocols and rule changes.
The 37-year-old is without a team in the 2020 IPL, and a retention could have definitely worked out well for both the franchise and the player.
#1 Deepak Hooda
Another player whose numbers don't do justice to his ability, Deepak Hooda was a strange release by SRH, given his youth and potential. The 25-year-old's highest run tally in a single IPL season in 151, and his career strike rate is just 127.18.
But the reason behind this is much the same as that of Yusuf Pathan - he hasn't batted up the order enough. With SRH placing emphasis on youth, Hooda could've been another player moulded for the future by the team. The Baroda all-rounder could have, again much like Pathan, provided a handy option with the ball.
Hooda will play for the Kings XI Punjab in the 2020 IPL, and he is unlikely to play very regularly in a team that has a stacked batting lineup with a number of experienced Indian middle-order batsmen. SRH might just regret letting him go, and he wasn't done any favours by the team either.
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