SRH playing XI from Jonny Bairstow's IPL debut in 2019 - where are they now?
English wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow turns 35 today (September 26). The burly yet always-smiling cricketer is known for hitting the ball a long way and being a safe commodity behind the stumps.
Although he has scored over 6,000 runs in Test cricket, Bairstow has strangely been ignored by the English selectors since he played his 100th game against India in Dharamsala earlier this year.
Bairstow has also been given the cold shoulder in ODIs since the World Cup in India last year. However, he was a part of the Three Lions for the T20 World Cup held in the USA and West Indies in June.
The stylish player turns out for Punjab Kings in the IPL and has become one of the most vital cogs in their wheel. However, he made his debut in the tournament for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2019 edition in a game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, SRH batted first to put up a total of 181-3 in their quota of 20 overs. In reply, the hosts were able to chase this target down with two balls to spare thanks to heroics from Nitish Rana (68) and Andre Russell (49*).
In this piece, we take a look at those who were a part of the SRH playing XI on Bairstow's IPL debut in 2019 and what they are up to now.
Top-order: David Warner, Vijay Shankar and Yusuf Pathan
Warner and Bairstow opened the innings for SRH in that game, with the former going on to score a 53-ball 85 that helped his team get to a gigantic total of 181-3. The southpaw has retired from all forms of international cricket over the past year.
Vijay Shankar, who came in at number three in that game and contributed 40 runs off just 24 balls, continues to be a regular for Tamil Nadu in India's domestic circuit although international appearances for India have dried up.
Yusuf Pathan was bowled for just one run by Andre Russell in that match, and he has since retired from the sport. He joined politics after retiring and is now a Member of Parliament from Baharampur, West Bengal.
Middle-order: Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda and Shakib Al Hasan
The middle order of SRH consisted of heavyweights such as Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda and Shakib Al Hasan. Pandey came in at number four and remained unbeaten on eight off just five deliveries.
The 35-year-old last played for India in 2021 but continues to be a force to reckon with for Karnataka in domestic cricket. The same goes for Hooda, who has moved to Rajasthan from Baroda. He last played for India in 2023.
Shakib, meanwhile, remains one of the mainstays in the Bangladeshi lineup and is even part of the side for the ongoing India vs Bangladesh series. He has expressed his desire to retire from Tests after the South Africa series next month.
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul
Rashid Khan was one of the best players for SRH in 2019 but has since moved on to greener pastures of Gujarat Giants. He remains one of the finest players Afghanistan has produced, with many hoping his best days to be ahead of him.
Bhuvneshwar, who led the side in this game against KKR and returned with figures of 4-0-37-0, is trying hard to make a comeback into the national team but has been consistently overlooked by the selectors since November 2022.
Sandeep Sharma and Siddarth Kaul too have played in bits for India in the past. However, the former has now moved to Chandigarh from Punjab while Kaul remains with the latter state. Kaul was most recently playing for Northamptonshire in the English county circuit.