"I think this team has the right balance"- Tom Moody backs SRH's move of benching Travis head in their IPL 2024 opening game
Former SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) coach Tom Moody believes Pat Cummins and Co. went with the right overseas combination for their IPL 2024 opening game against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Quite a few eyebrows were raised when Travis Head wasn't a part of SRH's playing XI against KKR on Saturday, March 23. The franchise shelled a whopping INR 6.8 crore at the IPL 2024 auction for the Australian opener.
Responding to a Sportskeeda query during the show 'Star Sports Press Room', here's what Tom Moody had to say about SRH's combination:
"Travis Head is a dangerous player at the top of the order but they have also got three very good Indian top-order players, and then you have got Markram and Klaasen. I think this team has the right balance. The last thing you would want SRH to do is change their combination after game 1."
The SunRisers lost in a last-ball thriller by just four runs in Kolkata. However, Moody feels there is no reason whatsoever for them to press the panic button in terms of their team balance.
Giving Pat Cummins captaincy has limited SRH's flexibility: Tom Moody
Tom Moody also opined that the SunRisers handing the captaincy to Pat Cummins has affected their ability to remain flexible with overseas players. This is despite them having incredible depth in quality with the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga and Travis Head.
He also shed light on why the South African speedster Marco Jansen shouldn't be benched and said:
"Given they have made Pat Cummins their captain, they have limited that flexibility and what they can do. I think the four overseas players they had in that first game were the right four to start with because Marco Jansen has come into this tournament in very good form and was crucial to their success in SA20 and gives them that balance."
SunRisers Hyderabad will host the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, March 27 with both teams desperate to get their first points on the board. Both camps will feel they should have won their previous game. That hunger could be a crucial factor in producing yet another humdinger this IPL 2024.