Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag believes Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) should keep opening batter Mayank Agarwal for the rest of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
Sehwag pointed out that SRH do not have any player who can replace Agarwal in the playing XI. He persuaded the team’s management to back the right-handed hitter, suggesting that he may hit a few game-winning shots down the road.
In an interview with Cricbuzz, Sehwag said:
“Sunrisers Hyderabad went after him at the auction and at one point it looked like they were going to appoint him as captain. They don’t have anyone who can replace him at the moment. They should give him some confidence. He could return to form and wins one or two matches for SRH.”
Notably, at the IPL 2023 mega auction, SRH paid Rs. 8.25 crore for Agarwal’s services. However, the opener has yet to live up to fans’ expectations, with only 169 runs in 8 games at an average of just 21.12.
“If he has scored a hundred while opening, he should play there” – Virender Sehwag on Harry Brook’s position in the SRH batting order
Virender Sehwag went on to say that Hyderabad should start the batting with Harry Brook, referencing the swashbuckling batsman’s amazing 100*-run innings when playing at the position.
The 44-year-old believes that one of Mayank Agarwal or Abhishek Sharma should bat at No. 3 to make a spot for Brook at the top. Sehwag went on to say:
“He [Harry Brook] is a good player. He was asked to bat in the middle order and then was promoted up the order. He scored runs as an opener and was again slotted into the middle order. He hasn’t had a fixed batting position, but he is an international player and should be able to adjust.
“However, I feel that if he has scored a hundred while opening, he should play there. Mayank Agarwal or Abhishek Sharma can be moved to No. 3.”
Hyderabad requires an extraordinary turnaround. They currently stand at 8th in the points table, with only 3 wins out of their 8 games