Many eyebrows and questions were raised when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) paid a whopping INR 10.75 crores at the IPL 2022 auction to secure the services of West Indies batter-keeper Nicholas Pooran.

SRH spent a lot of money on Pooran despite his poor IPL 2021 performance. Muttiah Muralitharan, the SRH spin bowling coach, explained why that was the case and how Ishan Kishan influenced the decision a few days later.

Left-hander Pooran is known for his big-hitting ability, struggled to make an impact for Punjab Kings last season. He only managed 85 runs in 12 games, with a string of ducks thrown in for good measure. SRH's winning bid surprised everyone because many expected him to go for a lower amount.

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A few days after the two-day frenzy, Muralitharan revealed that the Hyderabad franchise was forced to go big on Pooran after failing to sign Ishan Kishan, who was signed by Mumbai Indians for a record INR 15.25 crore.

"We initially wanted to buy Kishan. But once his bid crossed our budget, we were forced to look for alternatives. Yes, [Jonny] Bairstow was available, but we had doubts on whether he would be available for the entire season. We wanted an international wicketkeeper who would be available for all the games, so we thought Pooran was the right choice once Kishan slipped away,” Muralitharan told Sportskeeda in an interview.

Muralitharan expressed optimism about Pooran's return when asked about his form.

“We believe that he’ll do well for us. And the fact that he was sold for such a high price proves that many other franchises desperately wanted him in their squads. Surely, we’re not the only ones,” he added.