IPL 2022: 3 key areas Sunrisers Hyderabad need to focus on for next year
After letting go of two modern-day greats in David Warner and Rashid Khan, all eyes were on the youthful-looking squad that the SunRisers Hyderabad had assembled for IPL 2022.
The team management made quite a few interesting decisions at the auction table. This included splashing ₹15 crores on the uncapped duo of Rahul Tripathi and Abhishek Sharma as well as spending nearly ₹8 crores on Romario Shepherd.
They were naturally criticised after a poor start when they lost their opening two games. But they bounced back in style and won five consecutive games and looked set for a IPL playoff spot.
However, injuries to key players like Washington Sundar and T Natarajan proved costly as they lost their rhythm. SRH could win just one out of their last seven games, and even that was only a three-run win.
An eighth-place finish might give one the impression that they need to revamp the whole squad. But that isn't the case, given that most of their players performed their roles.
The batting quartet of Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran were a delight to watch. At the same time, in the bowling department, Umran Malik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and T Natarajan (before injury) were impressive. Even Washington Sundar and Marco Jansen delivered during SunRisers Hyderabad's five-game winning streak.
These 4 have Marveled. Been as efficient as they come. 🏏🧡
@tripathirahul52 | @IamAbhiSharma4 | @AidzMarkram | @nicholas_47 | #OrangeArmy #ReadyToRise #TATAIPL https://t.co/QmvvOPTGck
However, Kane Williamson's poor season, where he scored at less than run-a-ball, and the injuries mentioned above, held them back from the playoffs.
It is fairly apparent from the stats that most of their first-choice players were in good form and adapted to their roles. All they need to focus on are a few crucial areas to plug the gaps.
Here's a look at three key areas the SunRisers Hyderabad should focus on for the 2023 IPL.
#1 A proper all-rounder who can bat at No. 7
The SunRisers Hyderabad started with Romario Shepherd as their overseas allrounder but dropped him after just two appearances. The IPL team realised that they, probably, needed more quality with the ball and brought in Marco Jansen, who isn't quite a batsman.
Thus, they were always a batter light, and it cost them quite a few times when the likes of Markram and Pooran found themselves without any support.
This position needs filling, and there are few better than Sam Curran for this role. An allrounder who can bat pretty much anywhere while also delivering 3-4 overs is gold dust in T20 cricket and this was on show when Curran played for CSK.
In the 2020 season, he scored nearly 200 runs and also picked up 13 wickets in what was a horror campaign for the Men in Yellow.
Sam Curran in County 2022: 80(124), 33(33), 64(99), 73(143) & 78(95).
In this season, SRH either had Washington Sundar or Jagdeesha Suchith as their No.7 for most of the games. Such batting depth isn’t going to win the team many games.
Curran will be perfect as the all-rounder since he is also a good exponent of the new ball. He won't be cheap, but releasing the likes of Shepherd and Abbott should give them the required purse.
You can find the full IPL match list here.
#2 Leg spinner
Almost all the top T20 teams in the world, be it franchise or international cricket, have a top leg-spinner in their XI. Hence, it was bizarre to see that the SunRisers Hyderabad decided to buy just one leggie. Even that one wrist spinner was Shreyas Gopal, who hasn't quite been at his best for a couple of years.
This glaring hole was initially covered up because the pitches assisted the pace bowling quartet. However, as the tournament progressed and pitches started to slow down, the likes of Natarajan and Jansen weren't as effective. Both of their first-choice spinners are finger spinners and don't turn the ball as much.
Thus, it's evident that they need a leg-spinner and there are several options in the form of Adam Zampa, Qais Ahmad, and Adil Rashid. Given SRH's Afghan connection, it wouldn't be surprising if they were to buy Qais Ahmad ahead of the Australian and English options, who have had availability issues in the past.
#3 Who will full No. 6 slot for SunRisers Hyderabad
Abdul Samad was among the three players that SRH retained. After showing glimpses of his enormous potential over the last couple of seasons, it was expected that he would be given a more significant role to play this time.
However, that wasn't the case as he was dropped after just two games in favour of Shashank Singh for the sixth batsman's position.
Shashank, who introduced himself with a sparkling 25* of 6 in his first innings, couldn't kick on from there. This proved detrimental given that the team already lacked batting depth. Even when they left out Shashank towards the end phase, they were reluctant to play Samad, making little sense.
They will undoubtedly need a new No. 6, but they have the solution in their squad. A middle order of Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, and Abdul Samad could well turn out to be one of the best in the league. The former two are just about to enter their prime, while the latter is a scarce talent.
Unlike many Indian youngsters, Samad is quite comfortable even against hard lengths at a good pace, and the SunRisers Hyderabad must back him the way they supported Umran Malik.
Note: Kane Williamson hasn't been included as it was a freak season rather than a structural issue. A player of his quality will inevitably return to form sooner rather than later. But they could release and repurchase him for a cheaper rate.