IPL 2024 auction: Sunrisers Hyderabad go big on foreign recruits
Sunrisers Hyderabad added some serious talent in terms of foreign recruits at the Indian Premier League 2024 auction. They made a statement by signing Pat Cummins for Rs. 20.50 crore. Key stalwarts like Travis Head and Wanindu Hasaranga were cashed upon. The inclusion of these three players adds serious depth. SRH finished ninth in the IPL 2023 points table. We decode the auction.
Why does this story matter?
Sunrisers were once a very strong unit when they won the IPL back in 2016 and also made it to the playoffs after that. However, after the last mega auction, they have struggled majorly in team combination and strategy. SRH now have a lot of talented players on their roster. With new additions, they can now pick and choose as per pre-match conditions.
Major players retained by SRH ahead of the auction
Heinrich Klaasen, who hammered 448 runs last season remains a key figure. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished as their highest wicket-taker last season with 16 scalps will lend his voice. Other retained players include Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, and Glenn Phillips. The likes of Rahul Tripathi and Mayank Agarwal, who slammed 273 and 270 runs last season respectively, form the crux at the top.
Purse, trade window, and list of retained players
SRH came into the auction with the second-highest budget of Rs. 34 crore. They signed Shahbaz Ahmed from RCB in exchange for Mayank Dagar. Retained players: Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Anmolpreet Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Glenn Phillips, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Mayank Agarwal, Mayank Markande, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rahul Tripathi, Sanvir Singh, T. Natarajan, Umran Malik, Upendra Singh Yadav, Washington Sundar.
SRH's signings at the IPL 2024 auction
SRH were involved in some of the astronomical bidding wars in the IPL 2024 auction. They came intending to plug their holes and they did exactly that. SRH's signings in IPL 2024 auction: Travis Head (Rs 6.80 crore), Wanindu Hasaranga (Rs 1.50 crore), Pat Cummins (Rs 20.50 crore), Jaydev Unadkat (Rs. 1.6 crore), Akash Singh (20 lakh), Jhathavedh Subramanyam (Rs. 20 lakh).
Here's SRH's squad for the IPl 2024
SRH's squad for IPL 2024: Aiden Markram Abdul Samad, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Heinrich Klaasen, Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Yadav, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed (Traded from RCB), Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Sanvir Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, T Natarajan, Fazahaq Farooqi, Travis Head, Wanindu Hasaranga, Pat Cummins, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, and Jhathavedh Subramanyam.
Here are the major takeaways
Releasing Brook, SRH had to rope in a top-order batter and they went all out for Head. They broke the bank for Cummins, adding more speedsters to their arsenal. He may also captain the team next season, replacing Markram. They got a good deal for Hasaranga, who will bring variety to their bowling attack. Unadkat will bring a lot of experience to their bench.
