5 players Sunrisers Hyderabad should retain

Champions of the 2016 season, Sunrisers Hyderabad are a very strong team. Ever since David Warner took over as captain, the team looks a class apart. The Sunrisers have a very strong batting order, with the likes of David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, Yuvraj Singh, and Moises Henriques. The openers - Warner and Dhawan have done a great job of getting the team off to good starts and the middle and lower order has done well to finish off well. The team also boasts of excellent T20 bowlers like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan.

With major re-shuffling of teams for the next season, it would be interesting to see which players the team chooses to retain.

Teams can retain five players, subject to a maximum of three capped Indian players, a maximum of two overseas players and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players.

Here are five players I feel the Sunrisers should retain.

#1 David Warner

The southpaw from Australia has been the star of the team ever since he was bought by the Sunrisers in 2014. He was made the captain of the team in 2015 and won the 2016 title for the Sunrisers. Warner combines very well with Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the batting order for the orange army and the two have often strung big partnerships together to put up large totals for their side.

Warner is the fifth highest run-scorer in IPL history, scoring 4,014 runs in 114 games at an average of 40.45 and a healthy strike rate of 142.13. He has three centuries and 36 half-centuries to his name and has smashed 160 sixes in the tournament. He has a high score of 126 in the tournament.

Sunrisers are sure to retain their skipper for the next season.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan

'Gabbar' has been the partner-in-crime of David Warner in taking the winds off the opposition bowling in the IPL for team Hyderabad. The two left-handers at the top of the batting order are a handful for any opposition and have the ability to play match-winning knocks.

Shikhar Dhawan is the eighth highest run-scorer in IPL history, scoring 3,561 runs in 127 IPL games at an average of 32.66 and a strike rate of 121.86. The Delhi boy has 28 half-centuries to his name with a high score of an unbeaten 95.

Sunrisers should not let go of Dhawan.

#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been one of the best Indian pacers in the IPL. He has performed very well for his franchise in the last two editions of the tournament, winning the purple cap for the most number of wickets taken in both editions. Kumar has evolved as a death over specialist and has mastered the art of bowling perfect yorkers. After his performance in the IPL, he was given a similar role on the Indian side and has done very well along with Jasprit Bumrah.

Kumar is the sixth highest wicket-taker in the IPL. He has 111 scalps to his name in 90 games with the best figures of 5/19.

No team would let go of a player with such a record.

#4 Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan

The leg-spinner from Afghanistan was surely one of the best bowlers in the previous edition of the IPL. He was bought only last year by the team and was definitely worth every penny. The 19-year-old has excellent control and bowls very well concealed googlies. He bowls at a decent pace and allows very little time for the batsmen to read him off his hand.

Khan was the sixth highest wicket-taker in the last season, picking up 17 wickets in 14 games at a miserly economy of 6.62. He has best figures of 3/19 and has bowled 121 dot balls in his 54 overs bowled in the tournament, which are excellent numbers in T20s.

Sunrisers would look to retain Rashid Khan.

#5 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh

The star Indian batsman has blown hot and cold in the IPL. He was bought by the Sunrisers in 2016 for seven crores. Though he did play a few good knocks for the side, one would expect him to be a little more consistent considering the skill and talent he possesses. He has the power to hit towering sixes and score quick runs. He is also electric on the field and is very experienced.

Singh has scored 2,587 runs in 120 IPL games at an average of 25.61 and a strike rate of 131.18. He has 12 half-centuries to his name and a high score of 83 in the IPL. He has smashed 141 sixes in the tournament.

Sunrisers should retain Yuvraj Singh. He is a very valuable player, especially in the shortest format, and is a treat to watch when in form.