The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) released seven players ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, which will be held in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19.
The Orange Army had a miserable campaign in 2023 as they registered just four wins from 14 matches to finish dead last on the points table. There were plenty of issues for SRH, some of which they tried to address by clearing a part of their roster.
However, did Hyderabad pick the right players to let go of? The franchise has been known to let some of their best players slip through the cracks, with Rashid Khan and David Warner being prime examples of the same.
SRH's squad ahead of IPL 2024 auction: Aiden Markram, Mayank Agarwal, Heinrich Klaasen, Mayank Markande, Upendra Singh Yadav, Sanvir Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Anmolpreet Singh, Abdul Samad, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Shahbaz Ahmed.
Here are three players SRH shouldn't have released ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.
#3 Vivrant Sharma
Vivrant Sharma played three matches for SRH in IPL 2023. In the only innings he played, he made a positive 69 against the Mumbai Indians (MI). The all-rounder also chipped in with a few overs of leg-spin, although he didn't do anything special in those limited chances.
Vivrant is clearly a player with immense potential, but SRH, who had enough faith in him to sign him for ₹2.6 crore, have decided to release him. Finding all-rounders who can bowl leg-spin isn't an easy task, and while the 24-year-old isn't reliable in both departments as of today, he has plenty of time to grow.
Vivrant was in sensational form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, making 144 and 83 in successive innings for Jammu & Kashmir. The SunRisers might already be regretting letting him go.
#2 Kartik Tyagi
Why have SRH decided to release Kartik Tyagi? The young fast bowler hasn't gotten many chances to impress in the last two IPL seasons, but he remains one of the brightest prospects in the country.
Tyagi is one of the quickest pacers in India, and while injuries haven't been kind to him lately, he has a long career ahead of him. He picked up three wickets or more in three of his six Vijay Hazare Trophy games for Uttar Pradesh and was economical in the preceding Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well.
Tyagi was on SRH's books for ₹4 crore, and if he fetches a bigger sum at the IPL 2024 auction, it shouldn't be a surprise.
#1 Harry Brook
Harry Brook's maiden IPL campaign didn't go to plan. Signed for ₹13.25 crore by SRH, the dynamic batter managed just 190 runs in 11 matches at an average of 21.11, with his century against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) proving to be an outlier.
However, like Tyagi, Brook's ceiling is sky-high, as his performances for England have indicated. The 24-year-old has unmatched range around the wicket and possesses the ability to attack from the outset. He is versatile and can bat anywhere in the order, and his spin game is steadily improving.
Brook was drawing a huge sum, and SRH have other overseas batters in Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and Glenn Phillips. However, given the strength of their Indian bowling stocks, they could have found a way to fit Brook in the XI.
Like they did with Rashid, SRH might be left to rue releasing a player who can become a world-beater in the near future.
Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️