Will Sunrisers rise to the occasion?

In batting, the added depth in the role of finishers with the inclusion of Yuvraj Singh and Deepak Hooda should turn things around.

Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rehman is a great addition to the side.

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) has always looked a good side on paper, but has never fulfilled its potential. Last year, it came close to making the playoffs but buckled against Mumbai Indians.

Looking back, the SRH mentor, V. V. S. Laxman, told Sportstar , “Our batting was top heavy. The last two games in the past season changed everything. Virat (Kohli) played sensationally in that rain-affected game for Royal Challengers Bangalore. From the experiences of the previous years, we have realised that we need to take the upper hand in crucial moments of vital matches.

READ: >Laxman: IPL helps in many ways

“It was also important to start well. Poor beginnings previously had not only been dampening but damaging too. We did not build on the early momentum, so necessary in this format of the game.”

Laxman looked at the road ahead with hope, thanks to the induction of quality Indian players this season.

“I believe bowling wins you matches and good Indian players are match-winners. Pacemen such as Ashish Nehra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will give teeth to our attack. They can bowl really well in the ‘death’ and that can change the complexion of a game,” the batting virtuoso stressed.

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In batting, the added depth in the role of finishers with the inclusion of Yuvraj Singh and Deepak Hooda should turn things around. Youngsters such as Aditya Tare and Ricky Bhui could also be counted on, to bolster the batting. Naman Ojha, over the years, has been a batsman who could be relied upon, in addition to his good work behind the stumps.

“The experience of Yuvraj in batting and Nehra in bowling will definitely give strength to our cause,” Laxman affirmed.

Coming in for special praise from the wristy stylist was Mustafizur Rehman.

“He’s a great addition for us,” Laxman said of the Bangladeshi southpaw. “It was a treat to see him trouble batsmen, even on flat wickets in the ongoing ICC World T20,” he concluded.

Squad: David Warner (capt.), Shikhar Dhawan, Eoin Morgan, Naman Ojha (wicket-keeper), Karn Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Trent Boult, Bipul Sharma, Siddharth Kaul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kane Williamson, Moises Henriques, Mustafizur Rehman, Deepak Hooda, Ben Cutting, Vijay Shankar, Barinder Sran, Abhimanyu Mithun, Aditya Tare, Yuvraj Singh, T. Suman, Ricky Bhui, Ashish Reddy.