IPL 2020: 3 uncapped Sunrisers Hyderabad players who deserve a chance in the playing XI

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is only a few weeks away, and the stakes are higher than ever. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who played some outstanding cricket throughout IPL 2019 but bowed out from the qualifiers after losing to Delhi Capitals, will be keen to build on that and go a step further this time around.

The Sunrisers have been one of the most consistent teams in the tournament. So far, they have managed to win one IPL trophy - in 2016 - and they will hope to bring home their second title when the tournament gets underway from 29 March.

The current squad features a talented pool of cricketers like David Warner, Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey on the batting front, and Billy Stanlake, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan shouldering the bowling responsibilities. Besides, the Hyderabad team also has some upcoming stars in their ranks who will strive to do well and showcase their skills in the upcoming IPL.

As the 13th edition of the competition starts in a few weeks, we take a look at three uncapped Sunrisers Hyderabad cricketers who deserve a chance in the playing XI at some point this season.

1. Virat Singh

Virat Singh

When your name is Virat, you will automatically get noticed. Jharkhand’s very own left-handed Virat Singh is making the headlines and for all the right reasons.

Having made his domestic debut at the age of 18, Virat has become one of Jharkhand’s batting mainstays. He is a natural stroke-maker and boasts some serious T20 records.

The 22-year-old was in spectacular form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year. His 32-ball 56* against Gujarat and 44-ball 76* against Karnataka made him a hot property during the auctions.

Also see – PSL most runs

The southpaw finished with 343 runs, including three fifties, at an average of 57.16 including 16 sixes. IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad bagged his services for Rs 1.9 crore for the upcoming season.

A diehard fan of former India skipper MS Dhoni, Virat possesses all the capabilities to be the poster boy of Jharkhand cricket. Despite SRH having some devastating batsmen in their ranks, Virat deserves a chance at some point to announce himself on the biggest platform.

2. T Natarajan

T Natarajan

T Natarajan hails from Chinnappampatti, a suburb in Tamil Nadu. The eldest of five siblings, Natarajan’s interest lay in cricket from a very young age. His ability to bowl inch-perfect yorkers grabbed the attention of a local cricket coach, who encouraged him to take part in Tamil Nadu Cricket Association’s competitive leagues.

However, it was the Tamil Nadu Premier League in 2016 that changed the young left-arm pacer's career. He claimed 10 wickets in seven matches for Dindigul Dragons at less than 7.5 runs an over, which earned him an IPL contract with Kings XI Punjab in 2017.

Natarajan failed to replicate that effort at the biggest stage, managing only two wickets from six games, before moving to Sunrisers Hyderabad last season.

After failing to make it into the playing XI, the left-arm pacer went back to domestic cricket and played a key role for Tamil Nadu across formats. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar still nursing his injury, Natarajan can be a handy option for the Sunrisers management during IPL 2020.

3. Priyam Garg

Priyam Garg

Sanjay Rastogi, a local coach in Meerut, had identified the outstanding talent of a 15-year-old young boy who stood outside the crease against international fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar. That boy is none other than Priayam Garg, who has led India to the U19 World Cup final against Bangladesh.

Garg was fast-tracked into Uttar Pradesh's Ranji Trophy squad on the back of his exploits at the KSCA Invitational tournament in Bengaluru in 2018. He announced his arrival in the domestic circuit with a century against Goa and finished with 814 runs in 10 matches at an average of 67.83. The 19-year-old also boasts a good strike-rate of above 130 in T20s.

While he has limited T20 experience, Garg has the temperament to adjust to different situations. Amidst some heavyweight names in the batting order, the young batting prodigy will hope for an opportunity in the middle-order - especially with Vijay Shankar not at his best.