TATA IPL 2022 is nearing completion as all teams have only one game remaining. At this juncture, while one team (Gujarat Titans) is certain of its qualification, 2-teams – MI and CSK – are out of this race. But the other 7-teams are in a dogfight for the ages, each with its own way of qualification.
SRH, despite their win against MI after 5-consecutive losses, is at the lower end of th spectrum of expectation for qualification into the upcoming round.
While they quite need to succeed in their final league game of TATA IPL 2022, they will need several other results to go their way to even have a sniff at qualification.
At this crucial juncture, their skipper Kane Williamson has to depart for the birth of his child. Some might even call it a benefit in disguise, considering Kane’s batting returns in TATA IPL 2022.
But no matter his flaws in batting, Williamson is one of the best captains in the modern game. And finding his replacement will not be easy right now.
So here are 3-contenders to become SRH skippers for the rest of the season:
#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
0 W 0 0 0 0
What a fantastic penultimate over by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Consistently bowling good in death overs. Kudos to him. #SRHvsMI #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/fdIUPw8GLK
— Amit Mishra (@MishiAmit) May 17, 2022
Former skipper of Sunrisers Hyderabad(SRH), Bhuvneshwar, knows the franchise inside out. Having led the Orange Army in 6-matches of the IPL 2019 season, Bhuvi knows what it takes to skipper an IPL side.
So, he could be the right choice for a make-shift captain, and it might be an easier option than finding a new captain at the fag end of IPL 2022.
However, what does not work in his favor is that he has won just 2 of the 6-matches he captained SRH in. As the skipper, Bhuvneshwar lacked proactivity, and his bowling performances were also hampered.
While we do not see many bowling skippers in IPL or T20 cricket, having one would absolutely be an exciting prospect. And it would be a just reward for someone who has helped the IPL and his franchise well for such a long time of time.
#2 Nicholas Pooran
View this post on Instagram
The newly-appointed skipper of the West Indies T20 team, Nicholas Pooran, would positively be in the reckoning for the Sunrisers Hyderabad(SRH) captaincy. The skipper of Guyana Amazon Warriors in CPL 2021, Pooran, has enough captaincy knowledge in the game’s shortest version.
He also led the West Indies in Pakistan last year in the absence of Keiron Pollard. With Kane Williamson‘s diminishing batting and captaincy returns for Sunrisers Hyderabad(SRH), they might also consider Pooran for permanent captaincy come IPL 2023 session. His form to has enhanced in TATA IPL 2022 compared to his horror days at PBKS.
What works to Pooran’s benefit, apart from being an explosive T20 hitter, is that age is on his side. At 26, Pooran can help as an SRH skipper for a long period.
#3 Priyam Garg
I don’t know if god is a sport fan or not , but I do know this : he loves a good comeback 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/ayBDsMNV9P
— Prriyamgargh (@priyamg03149099) May 18, 2022
All cricket fans love good returns, and Priyam Garg made a fine comeback when performing his first game for SRH in TATA IPL 2022 against MI.
Given the function of opening after Williamson failed to deliver repeatedly throughout the season, Garg came into his own with an innings of 42 (26). This included a torrid pull for 6 off Daniel Sams.
Garg had previously failed to affect his short IPL career. Although, he has not received the kind of opportunities his talent earns. Not a finisher by vocation, he has been forced to go hard from the first ball, coming in at the latter stages of the innings many times.
While Garg has only performed one match in TATA IPL 2022, he could be a strong captaincy candidate for SRH later in the future. The SunRisers would like to try him out in the remaining games of TATA IPL 2022.
He led India to the 2020 U-19 World Cup finals and skippered Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in 2021. So, Garg has the most captaincy knowledge among all the candidates, despite his teenage years in the game. That’s a big positive.
Also read- “Hosting the T20 World Cup will pay much attention to cricket in the USA” – Aaron Jones.