Sunrisers Hyderabad. (Source -IPL/BCCI)
After finishing last on the points table in the IPL 2022 (Indian Premier League) season, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) staged a brilliant comeback in the IPL 2024 under the leadership of World Cup-winning captain, Pat Cummins. They dominated throughout the league stage and finished second in the table with 17 points.
However, their remarkable campaign had to be cut short as runners-up after getting thrashed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final. SRH have had a lot of quality players in their ranks, both overseas and domestic. However, due to team balance and combination, they could not play certain players, who could have made their campaign more impressive.
Here are the three players who were underutilized by Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024:
3. Umran Malik
Umran Malik. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)
India’s express pacer Umran Malik did not get a single game in the IPL 2024 season. He had an impressive campaign in 2022 but failed to maintain consistency the following season. With Pat Cummins, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan solidifying in the pace bowling department, Malik could have been tested in place of Jaydev Unadkat.
The Jammu & Kashmir-based pacer is capable of hitting 150 to 155 kmph frequently and can bamboozle the batters. Mayank Yadav was sensational with his fiery pace for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Malik could have done the same for SRH with his lethal pace.
2. Rahul Tripathi
Rahul Tripathi. (Source -IPL/BCCI)
Rahul Tripathi played just four matches in IPL 2024 and he made a huge impact for the team. However, it was too late for SRH to use the right-handed batter. Apart from the failure in the final, Tripathi was impressive in their last league match against Punjab Kings as well as Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2.
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Tripathi scored 134 runs off just 81 balls at a staggering strike rate in the tournament. Although SRH lost to KKR in the first qualifier, Tripathi’s one-man fightback (55 off 35 balls) will never go unnoticed. He should have replaced Aiden Markram in the XI from at least the second half of the league stage.
1. Glenn Phillips
Glenn Phillips. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)
An overflow of top-class overseas players in the SRH squad saw New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips warm the bench throughout the season. Travis Head, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and Pat Cummins filled the overseas slot in their most matches. Despite Markram’s failure to perform well, SRH did not bring Phillips into the line-up.
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Notably, in their last two league matches, SRH have played with just three foreign players and opted to sideline the Kiwi star. Phillips is a big hitter who can bowl handy good off-spin and also a gun outfielder. Markram struggled to find runs in Qualifier 2 and the final. Had SRH tried Phillips at least in the final, the outcome for the 2016 champions might have been different.
