Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) won’t find it easy to replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan. These pacers are two of the top three wicket-takers for the franchise. But they won’t play for them in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
Vettori backs Shami to replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar
SRH head coach Daniel Vettori realises that replacing them won’t be easy. But he reckons that Mohammed Shami and Harshal Patel can do a fine job. Both are strike bowlers, enough though they can be touch expensive. But given SRH’s aggressive brand of cricket, they would rather like wicket-takers over defensive bowlers.
“Shami two years ago was the purple cap winner, and Harshal (won it) last year – they are two big additions. We know it is big shoes to fill from Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) and Nattu (T Natarajan) – stalwarts of the Sunrisers, who mean much to the franchise,” Vettori told reporters in Hyderabad.
Most wickets for SRH
| Bowlers | Span | Matches | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 2014-2024 | 145 | 4210 | 157 | 26.81 | 7.72 | 20.81 | 19/5 |
| Rashid Khan | 2017-2021 | 76 | 1912 | 93 | 20.55 | 6.33 | 19.48 | 7/3 |
| T Natarajan | 2020-2024 | 55 | 1854 | 65 | 28.52 | 8.82 | 19.40 | 19/4 |
Yes, Shami was out injured for over a year, but he’s since found his groove. He was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which the India cricket team won. Shami was also incredible with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons, where he took 48 wickets at 21.04 while having an astounding 15.75 strike rate.
“It was hard to see them go, but that’s the dynamic of the auction. You have to be as nimble as possible to take opportunities. To see Shami come to us and bowl so well in the Champions Trophy is fantastic; those two can complement what Pat brings to the table,” the coach added.
