IPL 2021: Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Jason Roy arrives in Chennai
England batsman Jason Roy has arrived in Chennai to join the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squad for the 14th edition of the IPL.
Jason Roy, who went unsold at the IPL 2021 Auction earlier this year, was brought in by SRH as Mitchell Marsh's replacement. He will now serve a mandatory seven-day quarantine period before teaming up with the rest of the SRH squad.
Mitchell Marsh was one of the players retained by SRH ahead of IPL 2021. However, the Australian all-rounder pulled out of the tournament, citing bio-bubble fatigue. SRH then dipped into the list of unsold players from the last auction and picked Jason Roy as his replacement.
SRH's decision did raise a few eyebrows as they replaced an all-rounder with an out-and-out batsman. Moreover, SRH already have several options at the top of the order. While David Warner and Jonny Bairstow are established openers, Wriddhiman Saha could also be used in that position.
Jason Roy's recent form
Jason Roy was part of England's team for the recent five-match T20I series against India. The opener amassed 144 runs in five games at an average of 28.80, while his strike rate was 132.11.
Earlier, Roy was in action for the Perth Scorchers in the 10th edition of the BBL, where his performance at the top helped his team reach the final. The 30-year-old scored 355 runs in 13 games at an average of 32.27, while his strike rate read 130.51.
It will be Jason Roy's third season in the IPL, having previously represented Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2018 and Gujarat Lions in 2017. However, the batsman only managed eight appearances over the course of two seasons. Roy's best performance in the IPL came against the Mumbai Indians as he smashed an unbeaten 91 while playing for the Delhi-based franchise in 2018.
It remains to be seen how much game time Jason Roy will get in IPL 2021.