IPL PREVIEWS: All you need to know about Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the start of the new Indian Premier League season in April
After months of boardroom plotting, weeks of speculation and a lavish auction that has become a phenomenon in itself, the wait is almost over.
The Indian Premier League gets under way in April, and it promises to be the most open in recent memory, such is the nature of the competition.
Here is all you need to know about Sunrisers Hyderabad, from rising stars and the ones to watch to their title chances.
The best of Sunrisers Hyderabad came in 2016, when they won their first IPL title at the fourth attempt. The youngest of the franchises, Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight runs, in the final best remembered for David Warner’s contribution. The Australian scored 69 off 38 balls, hitting three sixes and eight fours. Last year the team finished in the playoffs, as they did in their inaugural season, 2013.
New Zealand's Williamson has replaced Warner as skipper
Tom Moody, who will be going into his sixth campaign as coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Australian’s time, since retiring from playing all forms of the game in 2001, has seen him become a cricketer’s representative of his national team, a director of cricket at Worcestershire and head coach of Sri Lanka. Kane Williamson has replaced David Warner as captain.
Williamson made a spectacular debut for the team last year, forging a century partnership with Shikhar Dhawan against Delhi Daredevils to win the game. Manish Pandey, the first Indian player to hit a century in an IPL match, adds to an already impressive batting lineup. England's Alex Hales will have a job on his hands to replace Warner's runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has vast experience in all forms of the game, leads the bowling attack and will be joined this season by West Indian right-arm fast-medium Carlos Brathwaite.
Alex Hales has been signed as a replacement player after not being picked in the auction
Rashid Khan, a 19-year-old who will be spending his second season at Sunrisers Hyderabad. The bowler’s rise is well documented; he is the youngest captain in international history, having led Afghanistan this month to 2019 World Cup qualification. Khan also holds the record for being the youngest player to take a century of wickets in the T20. This will be his second season in the IPL, and the stage is set for him to flourish.
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Opened in 2003, it is the newest of all the IPL grounds. The stadium was built to facilitate the growing popularity of the sport in the area, and is named in memory of the former Prime Minister of India. Problems after the construction stage meant the stadium was not deemed ready to hold international cricket until 2005. It held the opening match and the final of the 2017 IPL.
Shikhar Dhawan has 3,561 IPL runs to his name
The team to beat, that is on paper. Sunrisers Hyderabad have retained the core of their squad, and have strengthened in the areas they needed to. In low middle order, they possess a strong opening order and a blend of competent all-rounders such as Mohammed Nabi and Yusuf Pathan. Bowlers Bipul Sharma and Khan offer great spin, while their fielders are quick thinking and athletic. The overseas rule will create problems for Moody; he has as many as eight in the squad, but will only be allowed to pick four.
Squad: Kane Williamson (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan, Shakib Al Hasan, Manish Pandey, Carlos Brathwaite, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha, Rashid Khan, Ricky Bhui, Deepak Hooda, Siddharth Kaul, T Natarajan, Mohammed Nabi, Basil Thampi, Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Sachin Baby, Chris Jordan, Billy Stanlake, Tanmay Agarwal, Sreevats Goswami, Bipul Sharma and Mehedi Hasan, Alex Hales.
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