Due to an ankle injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australian captain Pat Cummins is likely to miss the ICC Champions Trophy, putting his participation in IPL 2025 in doubt.
With the IPL 2025 slated to start on March 21, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) may need to find a replacement.
Here are three players SRH could target:
1. Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman, a premier fast bowler from Bangladesh, has a base price of INR 2 Crores.
Although he went unsold in the mega auction last year, he has a solid IPL track record, with 61 wickets in 57 matches at a strike rate of 21.28.
He was also impressive for CSK last season, taking 14 wickets in nine matches. Rahman previously played for SRH, where he took 17 wickets.
2. Jason Behrendorff
Behrendorff is a left-arm pace option who claimed 17 wickets in 10 Big Bash League matches. He has previous IPL experience with the Mumbai Indians, taking 19 wickets in 17 games.
Known for swinging the ball, particularly with the new ball, makes him a valuable asset.
3. William O’Rourke
William O’Rourke: New Zealand pacer William O’Rourke had a base price of INR 1.5 crores but went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction.
The 23-year-old right-arm fast pacer can be on the radar of SRH, given his promising performance in the subcontinent during the three-match Test series against India last October-November where he picked up 7 wickets in 3 games and had a decent average of 18.43.
Potential Captaincy Replacements
If Cummins misses IPL 2025, SRH will also need a new captain. Here are potential replacements:
- Abhishek Sharma: In the 2024 IPL season, Sharma scored 484 runs in 16 matches. He has captaincy experience, leading Punjab in domestic cricket.
- Travis Head: Head scored 567 runs in 15 matches with SRH.
- Heinrich Klaasen: SRH retained Klaasen for ₹23 crore.
SRH also retained Pat Cummins (₹18 crore), Abhishek Sharma (₹14 crore), and Travis Head (₹14 crore
