The Sunrisers Hyderabad camp has been navigating choppy waters with the recent announcement that their key spin bowler, Wanindu Hasaranga, will be absent from the IPL 2024 lineup owing to an unfortunate left heel injury. This development has certainly jolted the equilibrium of the team’s bowling dynamics; nonetheless, the management, dubbed the Orange Army, has acted with alacrity to fill the void by inducting a fresh face into their ranks, the 22-year-old leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth from Sri Lanka.
“Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, a promising leg-spinner hailing from the emerald isle, has earned his stripes with a solitary T20 International cap. He now embarks on a journey with the SRH squad, signed at his base price of INR 50 lakhs,” an IPL media dispatch revealed. Boasting a brief but fruitful career, Viyaskanth’s leg-breaks have turned heads in recent times, particularly in the ILT20 2024, where he played a pivotal role for the victorious MI Emirates. In just four appearances, he snagged eight wickets with an impressive economy rate of 5.43. His overall T20 career, spanning 33 games, has seen him claim 42 wickets with a frugal economy rate of 6.76, marking him as a cricketer with remarkable potential.
SRH’s acquisition of Hasaranga was initially seen as a strategic masterstroke when he was snapped up for a modest sum of Rs 1.5 crore during December’s player auction. Hasaranga, whose talent had previously fetched a whopping Rs 10.75 crore from Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the 2022 auction, had experienced variable fortunes. His inaugural season with RCB was nothing short of stellar, as he amassed 26 wickets; however, reduced impact in the following year culminated in his release from the franchise. The persistent heel ailment has now snuffed out his prospects of spinning magic with SRH in the upcoming season.
Viyaskanth now stands on the precipice of a golden opportunity, geared up to bolster SRH’s relatively green yet potentially robust spin department, alongside names such as Washington Sundar, Mayank Markande, and Shahbaz Ahmed. The commitment and zeal of this 22-year-old debutant will undoubtedly be under the microscope as he seeks to carve out his legacy in this cricketing colosseum, the IPL, revered as the most glitzy and vibrant T20 league on the planet.
As the team composition begins to solidify, SRH is also wrestling with dilemmas surrounding their foreign player contingents, which include formidable talents such as Glenn Phillips and Marco Jansen. These selections unfurl a tapestry of questions regarding the playing time that the new recruit, Viyaskanth, might be bequeathed, particularly in the early stages of the tournament.
In another cricketing chapter, Pakistan has revealed its T20I series squad gearing up to face New Zealand, with a noteworthy player making his return to the national side after a four-year hiatus. Meanwhile, murmurings from cricketing circuits suggest that India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is poised for a national team recall, likely to find a place in the T20 World Cup squad as per certain reports. Additionally, Pakistani paceman Wahab Riaz has shed light on the decision to dethrone Shaheen Afridi from the captaincy reins.
The upcoming season of the IPL is shaping up to be an intriguing spectacle, interspersed with tales of comebacks, strategic maneuvers, and promising young talent ascending to center stage. SRH, with its new addition Viyaskanth, will certainly hope that this infusion of youthful exuberance translates into on-field success as they navigate through the highly competitive waters of the IPL 2024.
