After finishing their 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign on a disappointing note, former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara advised Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to build the team around Jason Holder for future editions.
This year's Sunrisers were inconsistent throughout the IPL season, finishing last in the points table with only three wins in 14 games. Furthermore, they broke their streak of qualifying in the playoffs for five consecutive seasons from 2016-20.
Shining light for SRH
The West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder, on the other hand, was impressive for SRH this season. Holder established his worth with the bat and the ball despite not appearing in all of the games. With next year's mega auction in mind, SRH management may decide to rebuild their team around Holder.
Speaking on the matter, Caribbean legend, Brian Lara said SRH can retain the prolific all-rounder but it’s not a good idea to make him a captain because of IPL's four-foreigner rule in playing 11. Appointing a foreign captain, according to Lara, will prevent the team's management from being flexible with their team combination.
“Jason Holder is the shining light in a disastrous season. I’m not sure if he is an out and out T20 player, but I feel they can build a team around him,” Lara told cricket.com.
“It's always great to have a local player to lead the side because you only have four selections in the playing XI and you are carrying the captain in that. There is a big auction coming up and SRH have a lot of shaking up to do. Let’s see how they will get the right group to move forward,” he added.
Overall, SRH had a poor season, not just on the field but also off it, with their team management being questioned for firing David Warner as captain in the middle of the season. The move, however, had no effect on their fortunes, and they finished at the bottom of the points table with only 6 points under Kane Williamson’s leadership.
