IPL 2021: Sunrisers Hyderabad rope in Sherfane Rutherford as Jonny Bairstow's replacement

Sunrisers Hyderabad have named explosive West Indian batsman Sherfane Rutheford as a replacement for England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow for the 2nd leg of the 14th season of the IPL.

The official Twitter handle of Sunrisers Hyderabad made the announcement on Saturday evening. The post read:

"The explosive Caribbean is now a #Riser! 🧡 Sherfane Rutherford will replace Jonny Bairstow in our squad for the second phase of #IPL2021'' #OrangeArmy #OrangeOrNothing."

The explosive Caribbean is now a #Riser! 🧡Sherfane Rutherford will replace Jonny Bairstow in our squad for the second phase of #IPL2021 #OrangeArmy #OrangeOrNothing pic.twitter.com/ypqqAl1Zyk

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) September 11, 2021

Rutherford has been rewarded for his brilliant performances in the ongoing edition of the Caribbean Premier League.

Featuring for St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Rutherford has so far racked up 202 runs in seven innings at an average of 40.40. He also has a strike rate of 136.73 with 3 50+ scores to his name. The left-handed batsman is currently the fourth leading run-scorer in the tournament.

Jonny Bairstow pulled out of the IPL on Saturday

England's Jonny Bairstow pulled out of the 2nd leg of IPL 2021 on Saturday.

The development comes after Jonny Bairstow, along with his England teammates Chris Woakes and Dawid Malan, opted out of the IPL on Saturday. Bairstow, Woakes and Malan were a part of the Test squad that locked horns in the Test series against India.

The English continent along with Indian players were scheduled to leave for the UAE on a chartered flight at the end of the series. However, an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian camp and the subsequent cancelation of the Old Trafford Test has forced the franchises to make their own arrangements.

One of the reasons cited behind the trio's decision to opt-out of the second phase of IPL 2021 apart from bubble fatigue is the mandatory six-day quarantine that they would be required to endure after reaching the UAE.

Appears Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan and Chris Woakes have withdrawn from the IPL. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes already had while Jofra Archer is injured. That leaves ten others currently taking part.

— Rob Johnston (@RobJ_Cricket) September 11, 2021

Bairstow is a crucial part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad setup. The swashbuckling keeper-batsman was the team's leading batter during the first leg of the 14th season earlier this year.

In seven innings, the Yorkshire cricketer smashed 248 runs at an average of 41.33 and a blistering strike rate of 141.71 with two 50+ scores.

Bairstow, Woakes and Malan have now joined the likes of Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer as England cricketers who have pulled out of the second leg of IPL 2021.

As far as Rutheford is concerned, the southpaw has featured in 68 T20s in his career, scoring 1102 runs at an average of 24.48 and a strike rate of 138.26 with 5 50-plus scores.