The Sunrisers Hyderabad started it’s 2019 Indian Premier League campaign with a loss but quickly recovered winning three games on the trot. The team progressed to the Eliminator stage, previously referred to as the Semi-Finals of the tournament, where they lost to Delhi Capitals by two wickets and finished fourth. In 2019, Sunrisers Hyderabad opener David Warner emerged as the top scorer of the tournament scoring 692 runs at an average of 69.20 and securing the Orange Cap. Left Arm bowler  Khaleel Ahmed claimed 19 wickets in 9 matches for the Hyderabad franchise. The team also won the Fair Play Award of the tournament.

The team was captained by New Zealand star Kane Williamson and Tom Moody was the coach with VVS Laxman playing the role of a mentor.

In 2020, Sunrisers Hyderabad has retained 18 of its former players and released 5 players the most eminent of them being Shakib Al-Hasan, Martin Guptill, and Yusuf Pathan.

SRH have added Mitchell Marsh, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Bavanaka Sandeep, Fabian Allen, Abdul Samad, and Sanjay Yadav to the team.

For IPL 2020, the team reinstated former captain David Warner at the helm. The men-in-orange have been one of the most consistent teams in the IPL, having played every tournament qualifier since 2016, the team also lifted its maiden IPL trophy 2016. Ahead of the Hyderabad franchise’s match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday, here are some of the key players who may leave an indelible mark in this year’s tournament for SRH:

Captain David Warner: The southpaw from Australia, who won the Orange Cap in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League will join the IPL after his national duty in England. Having scored 692 runs in the previous IPL, Warner was awarded the Captain’s armband this year. One of the most consistent performers for his team, Warner had scored 641 runs for SRH in his 14 matches at the 2017 IPL, likewise in the title-winning season of 2016, Warner scored a mammoth 848 runs from 17 games helping his team lift the trophy. Warner has played 126 IPL matches since 2009 and has scored 4,706 runs averaging 43.17 with a  strike rate of 142.39. Warner will also be aiming to reach the ‘5,000 runs club’ of IPL, before Rohit Sharma, when he takes guard on the 22 yards this September.

Manish Pandey- He was acquired by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for an astronomical sum of Rs 11 crore in 2018 and the investment paid off immediately as the right-handed batsman scored 284 runs for his team the same year. Pandey improved upon his performance in 2019 and scored 344 runs from 12 games, with an average of 43 and he will provide stability to the SRH batting line-up.

Khaleel Ahmed- Having been purchased in 2018 for Rs 3 crore at the age of 20, the relatively obscure bowler from Tonk, who was also a part of India’s 2016 Under-19 World Cup, played only one match in his first year for SRH. However, the left-arm medium-fast bowler from Rajasthan made headlines in the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League. Ahmed made his return to the 12th edition of the IPL in style, picking up 19 wickets from 9 matches, which made him the leading wicket-taker for his team.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar- The Right-arm medium-pacer secured 13 wickets for his team in the previous IPL and has been part of the SRH squad since 2014. Kumar’s 23 wicket haul in the title-winning season of 2016 has endeared him to SRH fans, likewise the pacer picked up 26 wickets in the 2017 tournament. Kumar has been recovering from an injury since December 2019 and will look to answer his critics in the UAE.

Jonny Bairstow- Bairstow made his IPL debut in 2019 at the age of 30, while he has been a tested batsman for the format with his national team, critics had been quick to dismiss him.

Bairstow, purchased for a mere Rs 1.2 crore, paid rich dividends to the SRH franchise. The right-handed wicket-keeper batsman played ten matches for SRH and scored 445 runs at an average of 55.62. Bairstow scored a century against Royal Challengers Bangalore and had two fifty-plus knocks to his name. Having silenced his critics first time round, Bairstow will be eager to perform well in IPL-13.

Another key player in the SRH squad will be New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.