8 players SRH might bid at IPL 2021 Auction

SRH released just 5 players ahead of the IPL 2021 auction – leaving the team with just 3 players to fill their squad of 25. There is room for only 1 overseas player.

It is likely Sunrisers Hyderabad could fill the vacancy with either 3 domestic players or 1 overseas player plus 2 domestic players. Here is a list of 4 overseas + 4 domestic players who we think SRH might have a go at in the mini auction:

Glenn Maxwell (Australia)

The Aussie all-rounder is not alien to the SRH franchise plans at the auction as they have tried acquiring him in the past. Maxwell adds to the slog factor of any team and his T20 record precedes his reputation. With a T20 strike rate of 152.05 he is a mouth watering prospect at the auction for many teams irrespective of his dismal IPL 2020 season

Maxwell is no muck with the ball as he has 108 wickets to his name and can be a handy option to combat against left handed batsmen of opposition teams.

SRH might seek Glenn Maxwell to power up their middle order which has often prone to criticism in the past.

Jhye Richardson (Australia)

The Aussie bowling all-rounder is another one of those Aussie cricketers that might attract max bids as many teams are in look out for the need for speed. SRH released Billy Stanlake which means Jason Holder is their only new ball overseas bowler right now in the squad. They might look to fill in the spot with a pacer like Jhye Richardson who has the ability to slog with the bat.

Richardson boasts a batting average of 20.08 powered by a strike rate of 137.71 which makes him a quint essential T20 cricketer teams would go after. He is coming from a impressive BBL 10 season where he picked 29 wickets in 17 innings at an average of 16.30 with an impressive bowling strike rate of 12.70 – a wicket every 2 overs! He also bowled the most dot balls (169) of the season.

Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan)

Sunrisers Hyderabad is not new to the concept of going after Afghanistan cricketers. Naveen-ul-Haq made massive strides in the shorter form of the game for both Afghanistan and franchises.

The 21 year old pacer has the swing and wits to outsmart the batsmen. His young career boasts of 55 wickets in 50 innings at an average of 23.47 and an economy rate of 7.42.

With SRH having the least budget purse, the Afghanistan pacer could be a money ball pick of the Auction.

Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand)

The New Zealand pacer is already slated to be the heart throb of IPL 2021 auction. The 6’8″ tall all-rounder was the find of world cricket at the dawn of new decade. His best bowling figures of 6/7 in T20 cricket is just a cherry on top.

His impressive performances at home against Team India got every one noticing his talent and definitely the teams would get in to a busy bidding zone when his name pops up on the display.

With many teams looking to grab Jamieson – SRH might still give it a go given the team has New Zealand captain Kane Williamson who knows the in and outs of the Kiwi all-rounder. Only thing that goes against Jamieson is uncertainty over his adaptability to sub continental conditions.

Rishi Dhawan (Himachal Pradesh)

The Himachal all-rounder is not a new name in the IPL circuit. He already represented Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in the past.

The 30 year old all-rounder has a T20 batting average of 31.85 with a career highest of 65*. He also has 73 wickets to his name.

In the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament, Dhawan picked 9 wickets at an average of 16.00 with an economy rate of 6.85. He also unleashed his batting potential in his last 3 batting opportunities – scoring 43, 61* and 35* – 2 of the innings coming in winning cause!

SRH might look to add value to the team with a power hitter who can chip in overs when required to make the break throughs. An experienced all-rounder is a near drought in India and Rishi Dhawan could be the key to unlock a new potential in SRH armory.

Vishnu Solanki (Baroda)

Baroda batsman Vishnu Solanki grabbed attention with a stupendous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season. He recorded 267 runs at an average of 53.40. His ability to change gears with the bat is a testament to his potential.

Solanki’s 71* in 46 balls against Haryana in SMAT 2021 quater-final was his defining knock that got the eyes balls hovered on him. Needing 15 runs to win in the last 3 balls, he hit a 6, 4 and 6 to finish the match for his team.

SRH might bid for Solanki given his ‘finishing skills’ which has been a question mark on SRH’s potential over the past few seasons.

Manimaran Sidharth (Tamil Nadu)

SRH has limited domestic spin options when it comes to supporting Rashid Khan – Manimaran Sidharth who has been released by KKR could be the answer to the question.

Shahbaz Nadeem had a decent outing in UAE but one wouldn’t really call it threatening. With the 22 year old Tamil Nadu left arm spinner Manimaran Sidharth, SRH can look in for an attacking spin option. Manimaran rose to fame in TNPL where he played for Chepauk Super Gillies.

His very young T20 career of 6 matches got him 16 wickets at a bowling average of 6.81 and miserly economy rate of 4.95. A young spinner under the shadow of Muthiah Muralitharan can be a mouth watering prospect to look out for in the future.

Ashutosh Aman (Bihar)

A much more experienced spin option on the cards can be through Bihar left arm spinner Ashutosh Aman. Aman was the highest wicket taker in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament. The 34 year old spinner picked 16 wickets in 6 innings at an economy rate of 5.08 including two 4 wicket hauls.

With the franchise in hunt for a domestic spin option, SRH could look in for a wily spinner who can choke and fox the batsman in the form of Ashutosh Aman.

Honorable mentions:

Bangladesh all rounder Shakib Al Hasan (former SRH player) and Piyush Chawla can be one of those options SRH can still ponder given their need for a experienced middle order batsman and a attacking spin option to compliment Rashid Khan. Also in plans can be Shivam Dube as a left handed power hitter can provide variety to the batting order dominant with right handed batsmen.

Let us know who you want SRH to pick in the IPL 2021 auction in the comments below!

SRH STATUS

Released Players:

Sanjay Yadav, Bavanaka Sandeep, Billy Stanlake, Fabian Allen, Yarra Prithviraj

Squad/Retained Players: 

David Warner (c), Abhishek Sharma, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreevats Goswami (wicket keeper), Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket keeper), Abdul Samad, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Priyam Garg, Virat Singh

Purse Remaining for Auction: INR 10.75 crore

Players Remaining: 3
Overseas slots Remaining: 1