Sunrisers Hyderabad were once known for their consistency and ability to retain a core group over years. They had Dale Steyn in his prime from 2013 to 2016, Kane Williamson was around from 2015, David Warner came in from 2014, and was backed at his worst phase too, while Shikhar Dhawan was also around from 2013 till 2019. Rashid Khan is another player, who they groomed from 2017 and saw become a T20 superstar around the World.

Now though, baring Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sunrisers Hyderabad has let go of their core group. While injury and poor form prompted Sunrisers to let go of Dale Steyn, the others following were quite puzzling. Shikhar Dhawan, unhappy with his salary chose to be traded to the Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2019. With him going, Sunrisers lost one of their best players in the top-order, leaving David Warner alone at the top, looking for new partners.

The side did not have much turbulence following, but then went on to make a pair of tough, franchise defining decisions. First, they let go of David Warner in 2021. While David Warner was poor in IPL 2021, and dropped towards the end of the season, the decision remained baffling. He is Sunrisers most prolific batter, and played an integral part in their success from 2016 to 2020. His performance at the top has been crucial as he singlehandedly took the batting line-up to the trophy in 2016.

Poor form and some off-field issues saw Sunrisers make a decision that has caused unrepairable damage. They released David Warner, who was the face of the franchise, and became an icon in Hyderabad with his success for them. To go with his release, Sunrisers made another tough decision by releasing Rashid Khan.

Rashid Khan came into the franchise in 2017, before he became a big star in T20 Cricket. Following his success in the IPL, Rashid Khan’s journey started, and he is now growing into a remarkable bowler. Ahead of the 2022 season though, Sunrisers were left with a challenge. With Kane Williamson slated to be their next captain, Sunrisers intended to use their first retention slot on him. Rashid Khan though, asked for the highest salary retention slot, which led to a conflict, that saw Rashid Khan leaving the franchise.

Now, after leaving Rashid Khan for Kane Williamson, the Sunrisers Hyderabad has made an even more baffling choice of releasing Kane Williamson ahead of the Auctions. Kane Williamson’s form has been a question over the last year. His elbow injury has affected his performance, and T20 Cricket took a hit for him. His intent was off, but the story was similar in 2021 too. With similar and low performances in 2021 and 2022, the choice of letting him go after retaining him an year ago leads to confusion.

While Sunrisers have confused with their strategy towards retained players, their strategy with existing players remains just as off. Nicholas Pooran is another high-profile player released. He was bought for a huge sum last year, and did a fair job in the IPL. Poor form in international cricket though has changed things. His form with West Indies could be a factor, but the value he brings is still pretty good. A wicket-keeping explosive batter who can lead, would have been a huge asset for Sunrisers in the future.\

Sunrisers though, after two poor years are now in a rebuilding phase. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is one of the few core players left, and could be seen as a leadership option. Sunrisers do have the largest purse ahead of the auction, and it will be interesting to see if they go back to Kane Williamson or Nicholas Pooran, for lower prices.