IPL 2020: One wrong release and retention by each team

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Khaleel Ahmed (Wrongly retained)

Khaleel Ahmed came in with a reasonable amount of promise. The left-arm speedster played in the 2018 season, featuring in only one match and conceding 38 runs for no wicket. His numbers were equally good in the subsequent action, having finished with 19 wickets in nine games at an average of 15.11.

However, going by the current form, it is a risky prospect of retaining him. The 21-year old pacer was one of the weakest links in India’s victory over Bangladesh in the recently concluded T20I series, having finished the three-game series with two wickets at an awful average of 54. Hyderabad already have gifted pacers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Billy Stanlake, and Basil Thampi. In these circumstances, retaining the Rajasthan-pacer doesn’t seem a smart move.

Deepak Hooda (Wrongly released)

Deepak Hooda isn’t the most popular player in the star-studded Hyderabad line-up. However, he became one of the players with loads of promise in the eleven. His strike rate of over 150 while featuring for Rajasthan Royals in 2015 caught the eyes of a lot of franchises.

His batting average that kept hovering between 10-30 was never captivating. His aggressiveness had been a defining part of the game-plan. He endured a tough season last time, scoring 64 runs in 11 matches and picking up just the one wicket. With Sunrisers Hyderabad lacking proven Indian recruits in the middle-order, Hooda could have been a useful prospect in the squad.