Warner remains key

The Sunrisers Hyderabad stood out for their collective effort which saw them annex the title in style last season. Having retained 17 players from their title-winning squad, the Sunrisers will be targeting yet another combined effort in their bid to become the second team after Chennai Super Kings to win two back to back trophies.

By bagging eight new players in the auction – four domestic and four overseas – they have tried to strike a balance between the young and the experienced in the squad. All-rounder Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), leg-spinner Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), top order batsman Tanmay Agarwal and right-arm medium pacer Mohammad Siraj are some of the new faces in the set up.

On the batting front, skipper David Warner is undoubtedly their key figure. The dashing southpaw might have struggled to strike big knocks in the recently-concluded India-Australia four-match Test series but is a different player altogether in the shortest format. Sunrisers will be hoping that Warner gets back to his destructive best. With Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Willamson also in their line up, the top order wears a cloak of solidity.

However, Hyderabad’s middle order looks fragile with only veteran Yuvraj Singh being the prominent name.

The Sunrisers have one of the most enviable bowling attacks in the league, with the pace department being led by the trio of Ashish Nehra, Mustafizur Rahman and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Past performances: 2016: Champions; 2015: Sixth; 2014: Sixth; 2013: Fourth; 2012: Eighth; 2011: Seventh; 2010: Second; 2009: Champions; 2008: Eighth. (From 2008-2012 as Deccan Chargers)  

The squad: David Warner (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, Ricky Bhui, Tanmay Agarwal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Mustafizur Rahman, Barinder Singh Sran, Siddharth Kaul, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ben Laughlin, Mohammed Siraj, Rashid Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Moises Henriques, Ben Cutting, Bipul Sharma, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Mohammad Nabi, Chris Jordan, Praveen Tambe.