Overview

THE SUNRISERS HYDERABAD surprised one and all by winning the IPL last year. Although they never started as the favourites in 2016, David Warner's captaincy and willow, coupled with their brilliant bowling performance won them the coveted trophy. Given their heroics last year, they will enter the 10th edition as one of the favourites to win the trophy. Although SRH released Eoin Morgan and Trent Boult, the likes of Chris Jordan and Ben Laughlin were roped in. Most importantly, the Sunrisers became the only franchise to pick two Afghanistan players--Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. As the defending champions, the Sunrisers will kick-off their IPL-10 campaign against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Hyderabad.

Strength

Skipper Warner was instrumental in SRH's success last year. He might not have scored much in the recently concluded Tests against India, but we all know how dangerous he can be with the willow in the T20 format. He will open the batting and his aggressive captaincy skills is once again likely to keep the Sunrisers in good stead. SRH also have a strong top-order in Warner, Williamson, Yuvraj, Henriques and Dhawan. On the bowling front too, there is plenty of variety and depth. It's not to be forgotten that they won the title owing to some brilliant performance by their bowlers. From Nehra, Bhuvaneshwar, Sran to Jordan, there is plenty of quality in the seam department. After roping in Afghani leggie Rashid Khan, the spin department too will have a formidable look to it. Pravin Tambe too will bring his experience. Finally, the all-rounders in Ben Cutting, Jordan, Yuvraj, Henriques and Mohammad Nabi will bring more balance and depth into the squad. 

Weakness

There is no apparent weakness in the defending champions. Only complacency and injuries can play part spoilers to their campaign. Also, for the Sunrisers to do well, the likes of Yuvraj and Dhawan will have to contribute consistently with the willow. 

The Afghani duo effect 

The Sunrisers have done a remarkable job by roping in leggie Rashid Khan who has been growing leaps and bounds as a spinner. He has played several T20s in the run-up to the IPL and is seen as a genuine wicket taker. His variations, coupled with his ability to bowl frugal overs will make him a tricky customer in the cash-rich league. On the other hand, the all-round ability of Mohammad Nabi too will come in handy for the defending champions. He too has the habit of breaking handy partnerships with his offies and can also use the long handle to good effect. It shouldn't come as a surprise to the Indian public if the Afghani duo play a vital role in taking SRH all the way to the playoffs. 

TFG Verdict

The Sunrisers have all the belief and momentum after going all the way in the last season. Moreover, they have added some more valuable players to their camp and they are likely to bring more potency into their scheme of things. Also they like playing in front of their home crowd and defend totals well with their formidable bowling attack. Barring untimely injuries, we see them getting into the playoffs yet again. 

TEAM: David Warner, Moises Henriques, Kane Williamson, Ben Cutting, Mustafizur Rahman,Rashid Khan Arman, Mohammad Nabi, Ben Laughlin, Chris Jordan, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Naman Ojha, Ricky Bhui, Siddarth Kaul, Bipul Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh, Abhimanyu Mithun, Barinder Singh Sran, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan Arman, Mohammad Nabi, Ben Laughlin, Chris Jordan.

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