IPL 2017: 5 players Sunrisers Hyderabad would want to retain
unrisers Hyderabad entered the 10th season of the Indian Premier League as defending champions and started with aplomb by crushing the finalists of 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore, by 35 runs. Their 2017 season, however, hasn’t been as spectacular as the previous one.
Except for David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and occasionally the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Kane Williamson, the batting was largely untested and when exposed, has failed to deliver. The bowling, however, is razor sharp with Bhuvneshwar Kumar once again leading a disciplined unit.
Rashid Khan, that young leggie from Afghanistan, and Mohammad Nabi have stamped their names into the eleven with brilliant performances. Siddharth Kaul has stepped up every time Bhuvneshwar Kumar faltered at the death while the likes of Mohammad Siraj and Moises Henriques have also bowled well.
Also read: Who will win the eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders?
But the 2018 season is said to involve a wholesale re-auction which means every team might have a totally different composition. While it is hugely unfair to teams like Sunrisers that have built a stable side over the years, as things stand, all players will be back in the auction pool. However, what if there was an option to retain players? Which players would Sunrisers have retained in their squad?
Having sat out the initial few games, Siddharth Kaul came into reckoning with Ashish Nehra frequently injured. Kaul stood out with his accurate line and length and tight death bowling. Bhuvneshwar Kumar could not quite replicate his death over skills like last season but Kaul put his hands up and revelled in the role.
In 9 games this season, Kaul has 16 wickets which is his best return in a season. In the remaining 11 games he had played previously, Kaul had just 6 wickets which shows the kind of improvement curve he has undergone this season.
With his skills revamped, Kaul could be one of the players Sunrisers would have liked to retain.