Sunrisers Hyderabad need to go after Rachin Ravindra big time: Irfan Pathan

After the recently concluded ICC ODI World Cup, a rising star, Rachin Ravindra from New Zealand, is generating significant buzz in the cricketing world. As the IPL 2024 auction approaches on December 19 in Dubai, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) should set their sights on acquiring the talented all-rounder.

With a purse of INR 34 crores still at their disposal, the Hyderabad-based franchise has the opportunity to pick up six players, including three overseas cricketers. Pathan, while sharing his insights emphasized the need for SRH to secure a wicket-taking spinner, identifying Ravindra as the ideal candidate who can also serve as a backup opener. In his own words:

"Ideally, they would like to have a proper spinner who is a wicket-taker. They had Adil Rashid, they don't have his services now. Obviously, they have Mayank Markande but they need a bit more than that," Pathan said on Star Sports.

Pathan went on to highlight the importance of having a backup opener, stressing that Ravindra's inclusion would be pivotal for SRH.

"If they have two all-rounders going really well as far as batting is concerned in Washington Sundar and Marco Jansen, they can actually play with the playing XI. A backup opener is very, very crucial for them and that is why they need to go after Rachin Ravindra big time," he added.

Backing up Pathan's sentiments, cricket expert Sanjay Manjrekar also noted that Ravindra's utility would make SRH a better team, complementing their existing frontline batters Aiden Markram and Glenn Phillips, who can contribute with handy spin bowling as well.

Expressing confidence in SRH's bowling lineup, Manjrekar pointed out the depth they have with pacers like T Natarajan, Umran Malik, and Marco Jansen. He also highlighted the spin options with Mayank Markande and the addition of Shahbaz Ahmed.

"I am not too worried about the bowling because they have got enough with pace. T Natarajan, Umran Malik and Marco Jansen are there. There is enough spin with Mayank Markande and they have got Shahbaz Ahmed also now as an option," he said.

While discussing potential areas for improvement, Manjrekar suggested SRH should consider securing top-order backups for Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi, focusing on building a reliable squad to bounce back from their bottom finish in the last season:

"What I would like to do, because they finished right at the bottom in the last season, is find people just in case Abhishek Sharma doesn't deliver at the top or Rahul Tripathi doesn't have a great IPL. You have got to have backups that will change their fortunes," Manjrekar added.

Looking ahead, as the IPL auction inches closer, it will be intriguing to observe SRH's strategy at the auction table and whether they opt for Rachin or not.