IPL 2020: 3 players SRH should look to target at the auction
Sunrisers Hyderabad have been one of the most consistently performing sides in the IPL over the last few years.
They have arguably the best bowling attack in the league, while talismanic opening batsmen David Warner is highly consistent with the bat and is easily among the top 3 batsmen to have ever played the tournament. These were the biggest factors why SRH won the IPL in 2016 and ended as runners-up in 2017.
Right now all the franchises and their fan-bases have set their sights on the IPL 2020 auction, which will be held on 19 December in Kolkata. SRH haven't traded any players in or out of their team during the trade window. Moreover, the Hyderabad franchise retained most of their squad members and released only four.
Retained Players - Kane Williamson, David Warner, Manish Pandey, Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Abhishek Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Shahbaz Nadeem, Billy Stanlake, Basil Thampi, T Natarajan.
Released Players - Martin Guptill, Deepak Hooda, Ricky Bhui and Yusuf Pathan.
Shakib Al Hasan will not be available to play for the SRH team this season as he is currently serving a ban. The management will now be looking for some players to replace him in the all-rounder role.
Mohammed Nabi is already available, but they might look to acquire the services of a more capable batting all-rounder to fill the gaps in the middle order and the finishing department.
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They might also think of adding a quality pace bowler to further strengthen their bowling attack. Moreover, SRH has always been a top-heavy side in the batting department, so they might look for some quality middle-order batsmen to get a more balanced team composition.
With that in mind, let us look at three players that SRH should look to target at the auction:
1. Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell will solve the finishing problem for SRH, a department where they have perennially struggled. He is a versatile batsman and has the ability to play at any position in the batting order, and his tidy off-spin bowling will be an added bonus to the team.
2. James Neesham
James Neesham is a power hitter who can also bowl at a medium pace. He proved his credentials in the 2019 World Cup as he played a crucial role in New Zealand's journey until the final of that tournament.
Neesham can be the finisher and also an extra bowling option for the team.
3. Dale Steyn
On the bowling front, there is the option of Dale Steyn who is regarded as one of the best pacers of this generation. He has previously played for SRH and knows the Hyderabad conditions well.
Steyn's recent form in the Mzansi Super League was impressive, so the management should look to buy the veteran pacer at the auction. His presence will help the younger bowlers and will further strengthen the team's bowling attack.