IPL 2018: 5 players Sunrisers Hyderabad should look to retain

Sunrisers Hyderabad, a franchise that doesn't make the headlines a lot, yet it's proved to be one of the toughest teams to beat in the Indian Premier League in the recent years. They don't have a star-studded line-up like that of Royal Challengers Bangalore nor do they have a strong fan-following like that of Mumbai Indians. The winners of the 2016 edition have proved that you don't need all that to be competitive on the field. In 2017, SRH made it the playoffs but failed to reach the final yet it was a successful campaign for them. The team consisted of very few big names of world cricket but they had a lot of talented youngsters who impressed one and all. For the auction scheduled to be held next year, it will be interesting to see which players the team management goes on to retain given the team has tasted success in the recent years. They do have a great bunch of players to choose from.

Here are the 5 players Sunrisers Hyderabad might invest in to retain

#1 David Warner

The fortunes of Sunrisers Hyderabad took a drastic turn when David Warner was appointed as the skipper of the side. Under his leadership, the franchise went on to lift its maiden trophy in the year 2016. Even though the left-hander doesn't lead his national side yet he showcased his leadership skills in IPL and that's why he could be the first choice for the team for retention. Warner has led from the front and showed the path with his masterful batting. He has finished as the leading run-getter for the team for the past 4 seasons and in 2015 and 2017, he went on to bag the Orange Cap as well. Last year, he scored a mammoth 848 runs at an average of 60.57 and almost single-handedly led the team to the triumph. Overall, he has accounted for 4014 runs from 114 IPL games at an average of 40.55 and a strike rate of 142.14.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan

The Indian left-hander has also been clinical for the franchise at the top of the order. Even though he hasn't matched the caliber of Warner but he has been calm-headed partnering the Australian. While Warner goes off the blocks from the outset, Dhawan keeps his cool and doesn't attempt to match him shot for shot. For the last 4 years, he has ended up being the second highest run-scorer for the team, only behind Warner. Additionally, his recent form for the Indian team has been outstanding and he has accumulated loads of runs. When it comes to his overall IPL record, he has scored 3561 runs in 127 games, averaging 32.67 that included 28 half-centuries.

#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

One of the most improved bowlers in the shortest format of the game in the recent times has been Bhuvneshwar Kumar. From being a swing bowler at a gentle pace, he has now added a few yards to his pace and transformed himself into a specialist T20 bowler who can bowl at any stage of the game. The swing is intact for the pacer and he has developed the slower ones as well as the yorkers that make it absolutely difficult to score off him. Where Warner leads the charge for Sunrisers Hyderabad with the bat, it's definitely Bhuvneshwar with the ball. Just like his captain, he has topped the charts for the last 4 seasons. He has been the leading wicket-taker for SRH since 2013 and he has grabbed the Purple Cap for the past couple of seasons. His IPL record is terrific as he has picked up 111 wickets in 90 matches, maintaining an economy rate of 7.08 despite bowling the toughest overs.

#4 Rashid Khan

The biggest sensation in the game this year is Afghanistan's, Rashid Khan. He has been picking up wickets consistently regardless of the format or the venue. The leg-spinner is currently the 2nd ranked T20I bowler in the ICC Rankings. But it all started for him from the IPL while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017. He was picked from the auction by SRH for a whopping bid of INR 4 crores. The spinner lived up to the expectations and ended the league with 17 wickets and became the second highest wicket-taker, just behind Bhuvneshwar. He had an economy rate of just 6.63 and a strike rate of 19.06 which meant that he wasn't going for plenty and was consistently amongst the wickets.

#5 Mohammed Siraj

The talented fast bowler was one of the best youngsters to emerge from the last season. He was another to have grabbed the limelight after being picked up for INR 2.6 crores by SRH. Mohammed Siraj didn't get a chance to play initially but when he did, he showed that he was worth the money. He picked up 10 wickets from 6 games and even though his economy rate of 9.22 doesn't talk volumes about his abilities yet in the short span, he showed that he possesses the required skills for the T20 format. He can bowl at 140 clicks and combined with the slower ones and yorkers, he could be a deadly bowler. Due to his impressive run in the domestic cricket, he earned a place in the Indian T20I squad also recently. Stay connected with all the happenings in cricket. Follow Cricadium on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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IPL 2018: 5 players Sunrisers Hyderabad should look to retain

#4 Rashid Khan