'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are a franchise in turmoil even after putting together a decent squad in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
Mere days after the IPL 2022 auction, assistant coach Simon Katich has resigned, with some rumors claiming that the Aussie didn't see eye to eye with the other members of the management with regards to team selection. The controversy comes as one instance in a long line of backroom incidents, with SRH's IPL 2021 debacle still fresh in memory.
SRH's squad for IPL 2022: Kane Williamson, Umran Malik, Abdul Samad, Washington Sundar, Nicholas Pooran, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, Abhishek Sharma, Kartik Tyagi, Shreyas Gopal, J Suchith, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Romario Shepherd, Sean Abbott, R Samarth, Shashank Singh, Saurabh Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Glenn Phillips, Fazalhaq Farooqi
SRH can still compete for the IPL 2022 title, with the season likely to be a fresh start for the franchise. But here are three glaring issues with the SRH squad for IPL 2022 that might be exposed down the line.
#3 SRH's overseas players aren't proven IPL match-winners
SRH's overseas players have always been a pillar of the franchise. The likes of Warner, Rashid and Williamson have done the heavy lifting for the team over the years, but SRH's IPL 2022 squad sees a clear drop in the quality of overseas players.
Kane Williamson has had his moments in the IPL, such as his brilliant Orange Cap-winning season, but the Kiwi has been troubled by a persistent elbow injury and some strike-rate concerns. Nicholas Pooran hasn't set the IPL stage alight yet, while Aiden Markram and Romario Shepherd are quality players but arguably don't have that X-factor about them.
The likes of Glenn Phillips, Sean Abbott and Marco Jansen are solid T20 professionals as well, but SRH had proven names like Jason Holder and Mohammad Nabi in their squad last year. Unless the team's young domestic players deliver, they might be in for another long season.
#2 SRH don't have a trusted wrist-spinner in their squad
How does one replace Rashid Khan? The Afghanistan all-rounder single-handedly won SRH so many matches, and he is arguably the best T20 spinner in the world right now.
Well, while it's impossible for SRH to fill Rashid's massive shoes, they could've at least tried to acquire a cut-price replacement who can take wickets in the middle overs and bowl at multiple stages of the innings. Unfortunately for them, they ended up with only one wrist-spinner - the out-of-form Shreyas Gopal, who hasn't been part of a regular IPL playing XI for a few seasons now.
SRH's frontline spinners - Washington Sundar and Abhishek Sharma - aren't prime wicket-taking options either. Their pace attack wears a similar look to last season, but their spin department has been massively weakened. This is something that might come back to haunt a team that finished dead last in the points table in IPL 2021.
#1 All is not well behind the scenes at SRH
Katich resigning might just be an unrelated incident that has its own reasons, but it's clear that the atmosphere at SRH isn't as conducive to its players as it should be. Former player David Warner has continued to take shots at the franchise and its management on social media, while the non-retention of Rashid Khan was a move that sent shockwaves through the cricketing community.
All is not well at SRH, and that might not be a great sign for a team that has so many youngsters desperate to fulfill their potential on the roster. The side's support staff and leadership group need to ensure that the demons of the IPL 2021 season are erased, which is easier said than done. With names like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Abhishek Sharma returning to accompany the three retentions, the dressing-room atmosphere may not be totally different.
SRH's biggest battles ahead of and during the IPL 2022 season might be off the field.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
Poll : Will SRH rue the absence of a quality wrist-spinner in IPL 2022?
Yes
No
212 votes
