IPL: 3 most underrated Sunrisers Hyderabad players of all time

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) replaced the Deccan Chargers in the 2013 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and have established themselves as one of the most consistent sides in the lucrative league.

Currently led by New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, the team won the 2016 edition of the IPL under the leadership of David Warner, who scored a staggering 848 runs in that season, bettered only by Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli.

Many other big names have plied their trade for the franchise, the most notable being Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan, and Rashid Khan.

---

SRH's underrated IPL players

However, many lesser-known cricketers have shone in Hyderabad. Despite their consistent performances for SRH, they haven't quite got the recognition they deserve for their roles in the franchise's rise to a top-of-the-table team.

In this article, we take a look at the three most underrated players in SRH history.

---

#1 Moises Henriques

Aussie all-rounder Moises Henriques

Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques played 42 games for SRH, and scored 755 runs at an average just a shade under 28 and a decent strike rate of 128.84. He also picked up 28 wickets at an economy rate of 8.26.

Henriques added some much-needed experience to an SRH middle order that comprised of Deepak Hooda, Manish Pandey, and Vijay Shankar. He was often tasked with finishing the innings with a flourish and proved himself up to the task more often than not.

Henriques played all 17 games in SRH's title-winning IPL season in 2016, and won the Man of the Match award in the Eliminator against the Kolkata Knight Riders for his all-round performance. The Australian also took 11 catches over the course of the IPL, the most for an outfield player in the team that season.

The big names often overshadowed Henriques' contributions with both bat and ball, but it came as a surprise when SRH chose to not retain him in 2018. He was picked up by the Kings XI Punjab, but suffered an injury and didn't play a single game in the 2019 IPL.

---

#2 Karn Sharma

Karn Sharma won the IPL three seasons in a row with three different teams

Leg-spinner Karn Sharma played 46 games for SRH, and picked up 36 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.83. Signed by the franchise in 2013, Sharma played a secondary role to lead spinner Amit Mishra initially, but soon grew confident enough to take on more responsibility in a formidable SRH bowling unit.

After becoming the most expensive uncapped player in the 2014 IPL, Sharma dazzled with his performances over the next two years, and showed great control apart from a deceptive googly.

During his time with SRH, the leggie also made his Test debut against Australia Down Under, but picked up only 4 wickets on what was a featherbed. This remains Sharma's only Test to date, and he has also featured in 2 ODIs and 1 T20I.

Although his form dropped off in the title-winning 2016 IPL season (he played only 5 matches and picked up zero wickets), he had established himself as a useful T20 player.

He earned big-money moves to the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2017 and 2018 seasons respectively, and won the IPL title with both teams in back-to-back campaigns.

---

#3 Siddarth Kaul

Siddarth Kaul in action for SRH

Siddarth Kaul was part of the Indian side that won the 2008 U-19 World Cup under the leadership of Virat Kohli, but his career didn't take off the way the current Indian captain's did.

However, the pacer has found his second coming at SRH. After he was signed in the 2016 IPL season, it took him more than a year to make his debut. But when he finally did in the 2017 IPL, he picked up 16 wickets in 10 games, the third-highest in the team after Rashid and Kumar.

In the 2018 IPL season, Kaul played a vital role in SRH's finish as the runners-up, although he was slaughtered in the final by CSK opener Shane Watson. Kaul even made his ODI and T20I debuts in 2018, although he is yet to stake a claim for a regular place in the Indian team.

In 34 games for SRH, Kaul has picked up 42 wickets at an economy rate of 8.54. The fast bowler has shown a willingness to step up and take on responsibility, as is evidenced by the number of overs he has bowled at the death alongside Kumar.

Kaul is 30 years old but still has a lot left in the tank, and a good IPL season could see him return to the national setup.