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The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) have grabbed almost all the headlines at the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on December 19. With a big budget under their belt, the Orange Army have managed to sign three overseas players at the time of writing.
Travis Head, who was acquired for ₹6.8 crore, was their first signing at the IPL 2024 auction. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were also interested, but SRH held their ground to snap up the 2023 World Cup winner.
However, while Head is a match-winner in his own right and is in excellent form, he might not fit well at SRH. The Aussie dasher isn't guaranteed to be part of the Hyderabad playing XII, and even if he is, that might not benefit others in the side.
Here are three reasons why Travis Head doesn't fit well at SRH for IPL 2024.
#3 SRH already had several options to open the batting
Travis Head is capable of batting in the middle order, but there's no doubt that his ideal role is at the top. The left-handed batter is at his best while taking on the opposition bowlers in the powerplay, especially against pace.
Given that, did SRH need another opening batter? Last season, the Orange Army struggled to find the right combination at the top. The same could continue this time around, with Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, and Anmolpreet Singh all capable of opening the batting.
SRH can use Head lower the order, but that could reduce his effectiveness. Instead of targeting the Aussie, Hyderabad could've used those funds to beef up other areas of their roster.
#2 SRH have plenty of frontline overseas players
Pat Cummins, Marco Jansen, Glenn Phillips, Aiden Markram, Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Fazalhaq Farooqi are SRH's overseas options right now. All seven players have genuine cases to be part of the side for IPL 2024.
Hasaranga, as a leg-spinner who can bat, is a rare species of a player. Jansen can swing the new ball and strike big blows lower down the order, being the franchise's premier pace-bowling all-rounder as of now. Phillips has been in excellent form and is a brutal hitter, while Cummins and Markram are the two captaincy options for SRH.
Where does Head fit in among these players? Irrespective of who is picked, a few quality overseas professionals will be left on the SRH bench. The SunRisers might not be able to find their ideal combination after Head's acqusition, complicating matters for an outfit that hasn't been on point tactically more often than not.
#1 Many players might have to bat out of position to accommodate Travis Head
If SRH decide to play the in-form Head, they might need to make a multitude of adjustments in other areas of the batting lineup.
Markram and Klaasen are best used in the top four, while Abhishek has been at his best while batting at the top. Mayank's spin game makes him an attractive middle-order proposition, but he has never been able to translate that into regular success at the IPL level.
Irrespective of where Head plays, whether it's at the top of the order or lower down, others will need to be moved out of their ideal roles. And that's not a welcome situation for the 2016 IPL champions, who faced the same problem last season as well.
