IPL 2021: Jason Roy arrives in Chennai; joins Sunrisers Hyderabad squad

England batsman Jason Roy arrived in Chennai on Saturday to join the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Roy, who was a part of the England team during their white-ball tour recently, has been signed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) after Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh opted out of the tournament at the last stage citing personal reasons.

Jason Roy had a base price of INR 2 Crore, and was occupied by the Hyderabad franchise for the same amount. He is expected to be a backup opener for David Warner, who has been suffering from injuries in the recent past. During India’s tour of Australia last year, Warner had to miss out on the initial leg of the tour owing to a groin injury before he joined the team in Tests.

If in case such a problem arises, SRH will be covered by the England opener’s presence, who might fancy a chance to feature alongside his regular opening partner for England, Jonny Bairstow. Meanwhile, with his arrival, the entire bunch of SRH’s players has joined the team bubble and Roy will now remain in a week-long quarantine as per the BCCI’s SOP before joining the squad. Announcing his arrival, SRH through its official Twitter handle posted “@JasonRoy20 has arrived. Squad complete for #IPL2021.”

Sunrisers Hyderabad to play its opening game against KKR on 11th April

For the first time in the tournament, all the teams will be playing their games at neutral venues. The David Warner-led SRH is set to play its opening game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Given the cap of four overseas players in the teams, Roy’s inclusion at the onset seems unlikely as SRH boasts of a pile of overseas stars in Warner, Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi. Even as Roy comes in, Bairstow and Warner, one of the most lethal opening combinations in the IPL history, remain the first choice.

SRH, one of the most consistent performers in the league, has qualified into IPL Playoffs for the last five years consecutively, although they have been able to win the title only once in 2016. With some new additions on their side, they would want to go a step further than just qualifying for the sixth time.