As most foreign players from the various franchises have been returning to their respective national teams to participate in their World Cup preparatory camp, the onus is now on the teams to rethink their strategies.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) happens to be among the most affected teams, in addition to Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The team has already lost one of its best international players Johny Bairstow, who is back in England to prep for the imminent World Cup, and David Warner, the Orange Cap holder, will play his final game for the team against Kings XI Punjab in Hyderabad on April 29.
Considering this is the most crucial phase of the IPL, the aforestated developments have clearly put SRH in a tough spot. However, former Indian spinner Venkatapathy Raju says that it allows the other players in SRH an opportunity to showcase their talent. Adding that franchises are well aware of their players’ exit from the cash-rich tournament, Raju said, “These (foreign) players have been around long enough, no doubt, but they will indeed be missed because they are world-class players. But that doesn’t take away anything from the tournament. The other day, Rajasthan Royals won even in the absence of Jos Butler, so I'm looking at the absence of Jonny Bairstow and David Warner as an opportunity for other players in SRH to chip in.”
Former Hyderabad cricketer Tirumalasetti Suman seems confident that SRH has it in them to make it to the playoffs. He feels that its time for the other cricketers to take up more responsibility. “Just like how Living Stone came to the party for Rajasthan Royals, Manish Pandey, too, is slowly hitting form for SRH. Vijay Shankar is another underrated talent. If these players take over from where Bairstow and Warner left, SRH has a fair chance,” says Suman.
Sports writer and analyst Ayaz Memon believes that although the franchises have been affected, teams that have Indian players performing are in a better position to assess their strengths. However, he is apprehensive about the fact the SRH’s batting has not largely been built on Indian batsmen.
To encapsulate the scenario, after SRH lost to Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, SRH Captain Kane Williamson admitted at the press conference that partnerships in the middle order will be the key moving forward. “The next few games are critical for us to qualify for the playoffs, and we shall go into the game with the confidence to win it.
Besides, it should be nice to play on our home ground. Every game is equally challenging, and every team has been beaten at some point during the tournament. So we are focusing on our game,” explains Kane Williamson.
