"They were not making but spoiling players" - Aakash Chopra on the SunRisers Hyderabad's weakness heading into IPL 2024
Aakash Chopra has picked the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) muddled thinking as their weakness heading into IPL 2024.
The Hyderabad-based franchise finished last in IPL 2023 despite having one of the strongest sides on paper. They frequently changed their playing combination, which potentially played a role in their underwhelming performances.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that the SunRisers Hyderabad's trigger-happy approach last season led to their downfall.
"When I see their weakness, I feel that their thinking is muddled. The team was good last time as well, but why did they not do well? It's because they used to change the team in every third match. You spoilt Mayank Agarwal while trying to settle Harry Brook." he said (8:30).
"You didn't use Umran Malik at all, and when you did, you didn't use him properly. He doesn't bowl in the powerplay, but you gave him overs there. Then you didn't play him. You need to make players. They were not making but spoiling players," the former India opener added.
Chopra reckons past mistakes could continue to haunt SRH this season.
"They were absolutely clueless in the end. The captaincy was ordinary, and the team was going like a rudderless ship. Ghosts from the past are there to haunt them a little.
"I see that as a slight weakness because if you have too many options, you make changes quickly as you have a temptation," he added.
Chopra feels picking the playing combination, especially the overseas players, will be the biggest challenge for Pat Cummins and Daniel Vettori this season.
"We don't keep him in the gun players' list in T20s" - Aakash Chopra on SunRisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins
Aakash Chopra noted that Pat Cummins' presence as captain will compound the SunRisers Hyderabad's selection issues.
"Their captain is a very good player, but we don't keep him in the gun players' list in T20s, so much so that he is not even Australia's captain. He is the ODI captain but not the T20I captain," he reasoned (9:30).
The reputed commentator added that the Australian Test and ODI captain is not a potent weapon with the new ball or at the death.
"He doesn't bowl much in the powerplay and the death. If one of your overseas fast bowlers doesn't bowl in these two major areas, that is a problem.
"You see your overseas bowlers there, but here you will probably see Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan only. So that is a little area of concern," Chopra observed.
Cummins could share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar in IPL 2024. The SunRisers Hyderabad could also use one among Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh and Washington Sundar as Bhuvneshwar's new-ball partner if Marco Jansen is not in the playing XI.