At the IPL 2026 mini-auction at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16, Abhinav Mukund criticised Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for failing to pursue seasoned Indian seamer Akash Deep.
The former India opener thinks that the presence of Akash Deep or Auqib Dar may have resolved the issue because the former champions might have had trouble handling the ball during the powerplay.
“At the very least, you must take a chance. Once more, your powerplay bowling is a major issue. You needed a new ball option, therefore you had to push Malinga in because they had Harshal and Unadkat. For this side, I would have gone all out for an Auqib. In the end, you had a tonne of money. On ESPN Cricinfo, he asked, “Why didn’t you even challenge for someone like Akash Deep?”
Even though the Delhi Capitals (DC) paid an incredible INR 8.6 crore to sign Auqib, former India all-rounder and batting coach Sanjay Bangar feels that the team lacks pacers who can bowl in the powerplay.
“The new ball assault is the only thing they haven’t been able to improve. Although Aquib has accomplished remarkable feats in the domestic circuit, there are some doubts about their top and bottom bowling skills,” he thought.
The Delhi Capitals are fortunate to have signed veteran finisher David Miller at his base salary. Mukund, though, believes the South African mainstay will have to wait for his opportunity to be included in the starting lineup.
Miller doesn’t seem to find a starting position in the side. I truly enjoy Porel’s potential. Perhaps Stubbs goes to the number that Nitish also provides. I believe Miller simply steps in to take Stubbs’ place,” Mukund remarked.
I believe Gujarat is relying on its top three once more: Mukund
Bangar said the Gujarat Titans ought to have recruited the seasoned campaigner, despite praising Miller and calling him the best acquisition for DC.
“Given that they had the money and had let go of Rutherford, I believe Miller would have been a good fit for this squad. Miller would have addressed their shortcomings at positions four and five. “So, that was probably a miss,” Bangar remarked.
However, Mukund believes that Gujarat would once more rely on its top three batsmen—captain Shubman Gill, wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, and Sai Sudharsan—to provide the majority of their runs.
“I believe Gujarat is relying on their top three once more. That’s how it appears. This side has a lot of young Indian talent knocking on Indian doors, which is what bothers me. How will you maintain their satisfaction if you keep them on the bench? Mukund enquired.
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