IPL 2022: 3 Players Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) should have retained instead of the current retentions

SRH had a year to forget in their last IPL season as they finished at the bottom of the points table. Sunrisers Hyderabad have always been lauded for having the best bowling unit in the league. But in 2021 they were very ordinary. Only Rashid Khan looked in good rhythm, and the other bowlers were unable to find their flamboyance.

The team joined the Indian Premier League in 2013 after the previous Hyderabad-based franchise got terminated from the IPL. They have been a regular feature since then and have managed to win the title in 2016 defeating RCB in the final under David Warner’s captaincy. Their performance has been quite decent in most of the seasons.

Their retentions ahead of the mega Auction for IPL 2022 have been the most surprising ones. They have retained Kane Williamson which is understandable as he is the front-runner as far as captaincy is considered. The other two retentions are Abdul Samad and Umran Malik. The Jammu-Kashmir duo is talented but the Orange Army had better options.

In the article, let’s talk about three SRH players who should have been retained ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction

1. Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has been released by the franchise which was the biggest headline from the retentions. No one had predicted that something of this sorts could happen. Khan has been the most consistent performer for Sunrisers Hyderabad as he is still very unpredictable and unplayable on his day.

The leg-spinner has played 76 IPL games and has 93 dismissals to his name at a bowling average of 20.56. He bowls with an economy rate of 6.33 which is brilliant in 20-over cricket. His arm speed is the thing that is most talked-about and he is quick through the air as compared to several other wrist-spinners. He is only 23 years old and has a long career ahead of him.

He is even very capable with the bat, slogging in the death overs and is one of the best fielders around the globe. Rashid is likely to set the mega auction on fire and a number of teams will be looking to rope him in. It remains to be seen in which dug-out Rashid will be there for IPL 2022.

2. David Warner

The only captain under which SRH has won an IPL title, David Warner, is the highest run-scorer for the franchise. He is the synonym of consistency as he has been crowned with the Orange Cap three times in the league while playing for Hyderabad (2015,2017 and 2019). He was the main reason behind Hyderabad winning the 2016 title.

Warner has scored 5449 IPL runs in 150 games at an average of 41.6. He also has 50 fifties and four hundreds to his name. He is number five in the list of highest run-scorers in IPL history and has the most runs among the overseas players. He is one of the best batters in the cricket circuit currently.

Warner has been the most loyal servant for the franchise but was seen carrying water bottles and sitting in the dug-out during the 2021 season. He had a turbulent phase during the last days of his stint with the Sunrisers. The SRH fans will miss him playing in the orange jersey and scoring tons of runs for them. With few teams needing a captain, Warner can be one of the most expensive players in the mega auction.

3. Manish Pandey

The first Indian to score a hundred, and the Player of the Match in the 2014 IPL final, Manish Pandey, had many ups and downs in his career. He started his IPL career playing for RCB, then he went to play for KKR, and then SRH bought him in the 2018 auction for INR 11 crores. However, good form hasn’t quite been his best friend of late.

He has played 154 IPL games and has 3560 runs to his name. He bats at an average of 30.49 and has a strike rate of 121.83. He was also an option for Sunrisers Hyderabad during retentions because a team always needs an Indian middle-order batter who can be a regular feature in the playing 11. He has also played some quality knocks under pressure.

He has been a vital cog for Karnataka in the domestic circuit and is currently the skipper for them. His fielding talent has never been doubted as he is highly rated as a fielder both inside and outside of the 30-yard circle. He has also played some good knocks for the franchise batting at number three and even captained them in a game against Mumbai Indians in the 2021 season.