IPL 2020: 3 all-rounders that SRH should target at the auction

Sunrisers Hyderabad's IPL 2019 campaign was a tale of two halves. While they excelled when David Warner and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings, they struggled to do well once the two departed for national duties.

The bowlers weren't at their best last season, as only Khaleel Ahmed picked up wickets consistently for them. As a result, they had to settle for a fourth-place finish.

SRH weren't active during the trade window and released just five players ahead of the auction. However, three of the players they let go were all-rounders, so the team would desperately need some all-rounders to fill their squad.

They'll especially feel the absence of star player Shakib Al Hasan, who is serving a two-year ban.

Also see – World Test Championship points table

Released Players: Yusuf Pathan, Martin Guptill, Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda and Ricky Bhui.

With a purse of ₹17 crore, SRH have the leverage to go all out on the players they want to sign. With Shakib gone, signing a quality all-rounder should be their priority.

On that note, here are three all-rounders that SRH can sign to replace Shakib.

Note: Due to the lack of quality Indian all-rounders in the auction, SRH would inevitably have to go for an overseas all-rounder. But they have an excess of overseas players in their side, and it may be tough for a new player to find a place in the playing XI.

Last season, SRH benched Kane Williamson on many occasions to play Mohammad Nabi or Shakib along with Rashid Khan and the openers. All the players in this piece have been picked assuming that SRH would continue to do that in 2020 to maintain the team balance.

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#3 David Wiese

David Wiese has played for RCB in the past

While David Wiese isn't the first name that comes to your mind when you think of the auction, his recent performances make him a noteworthy target.

The 34-year-old Proteas all-rounder is a T20 veteran and has played in more than 200 T20 matches. He is a decent lower-order batsman and can clear the boundary with ease.

Wiese is also a very capable bowler with a lot of variations, which enable him to do well in the middle overs and the death.

Wiese has scored more than 2,100 runs in his T20 career at a great strike-rate of 144.55, and has also picked up 159 wickets from 182 matches.

He did well for the Bangla Tigers in the T10 League, picking up 7 wickets from 8 matches at a good bowling strike-rate of 12.1. He also scored 39 runs at a brilliant strike-rate of 205.26.

Wiese was in even better form in the Vitality T20 Blast playing for Sussex, as he scored 284 runs at a strike-rate of 149.47 and average of 40.57 in addition to picking up 4 wickets with the ball.

SRH have had a history of going for left-field picks like Moises Henriques and Billy Stanlake, and they could possibly target someone like Wiese too. He isn't likely to cost much at the auction and the team can save funds as well as get a quality all-rounder into their team.

#2 Marcus Stoinis

Stoinis batted well last season. (Image courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Marcus Stoinis was released by RCB ahead of the auction after a decent season with them. His release is a bit of a puzzle because his stats from last season were pretty impressive.

Stoinis scored 211 runs from 10 matches averaging 52.75 at a good strike-rate of 135.25. He wasn't given enough chances with the ball, but picked up 2 wickets bowling his medium pace.

The Aussie all-rounder is a very flexible batsman and can bat in all positions - right from opening the innings, to handling the lower order at No. 7. He is a very mature cricketer and can change gears very quickly. Ideally suited to batting at No. 5 or 6, he can solve SRH's middle-order issues while also being capable of providing 4 overs with the ball.

The 30-year old has cemented his place in the national ODI and is an integral part of the Melbourne Stars in the BBL, where he opens the batting. He has scored over 1700 runs in 84 T20 innings at a solid average of 28.27 and has picked up 61 wickets as well.

Wiese is likely to fall within the ₹2-4 crore price bracket as he isn't a big name like, say, Glenn Maxwell. Being a proven performer with an ever-improving track record, Stoinis should be targeted by SRH considering that he fits their requirements perfectly.

#1 Jimmy Neesham

Neesham is the player who can complete SRH's squad

After going unsold in last season's auction, Jimmy Neesham has had a dramatic turnaround of fortunes in 2019. He's one of the most sought-after T20 all-rounders right now and is sure to attract heavy bidding at the auction.

The Kiwi all-rounder was brilliant in the World Cup with both bat and ball and has carried that form to subsequent tournaments as well. He did pretty well for the Trinbago Knight Riders in CPL 2019, picking up 11 wickets at a good bowling strike-rate of 14.9.

Neesham played very well for the national side in the recent home series against England as he scored 63 runs at a solid average of 31.50 and a great strike-rate of 165.78. He also showed his big-hitting abilities when he scored 34 runs in one over against Sri Lanka in January 2019.

Neesham is a perfect middle-order batsman and can bat anywhere from No. 5 to No. 7 in addition to being a wicket-taking bowler. SRH lacked someone to provide the flourish towards the end of the innings last year, and Neesham can fill that gap.

Though the bidding for the Kiwi is likely to go high, SRH should go all out to get the player who can complete their team.