IPL 2017: Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to continue great run
Sunrisers Hyderabad have recovered from two ordinary IPL seasons to lift the title last year and they will hope their bowlers like Mustafizur Rahman continue to give them the fizz
SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), defending champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), came into existence from the 2013 edition. It replaced Deccan Chargers, who were terminated.
The Kalanithi Maran-owned franchise had a brilliant start to the IPL journey in their maiden season as they reached the playoffs. However, the following seasons saw them finish mid-table.
Under Tom Moody and VVS Laxman in 2016, SRH went on to become the champions. For 2017, they have a star-studded line-up with big-hitters like David Warner, Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan. Also, their bowling has effective seamers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra and Mustafizur Rahman.
Having retained 17 players from 2016, SRH made eight additions to their squad from the 2017 auction. SRH’s death bowling has been strong and they further strengthened it by picking up Chris Jordan and Ben Laughlin.
SRH are also the first team to pick Afghanistan players in IPL. Mohammed Nabi and leg-spinner Rashid Khan will play for them this year.
Performance:
SRH won the 2016 IPL defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final. They reached the play-offs in the 2013 edition, and finished sixth in both the 2014 and 2015 editions.
Main players:
David Warner: The fiery Australian opener is just the right kind of player that any T20 side would want. His hitting prowess has been key to SRH’s success. After a dry run with Australia in the recently concluded series in India, the left-hander would want to make amends.
Shikhar Dhawan: He is SRH’s other opener and has shared many a memorable stand with Warner. He has been inconsistent of late but a century and a half-century in the Deodhar Trophy should give him just the right impetus.
Yuvraj Singh: His century against England in Cuttack proved that class is permanent. He will be key in SRH’s middle-order.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The top wicket-taker in the 2016 edition is a death overs specialist. Having featured in the series-winning Test against Australia in Dharamsala and bagging the key wicket of Steve Smith in the second innings, Bhuvneshwar will be SRH’s crucial resource.
Rest of Squad: Kane Williamson, , Ashish Nehra, Mustafizur Rahman, Chris Jordan Ricky Bhui, Barinder Sran, Siddharth Kaul, Abhimanyu Mithun, Moises Henriques, Ben Cutting, Bipul Sharma, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha, Tanmay Agarwal, Mohammad Nabi, Ben Laughlin, Mohammed Siraj, Pravin Tambe, Rashid Khan, Eklavya Dwivedi