IPL 2018: Predicting how Sunrisers Hyderabad could line up after David Warner's ban

​

Shikhar Dhawan

The anchor of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad's epic rise, their trustworthy leader, the Australian pocket dynamo David Warner, has been ruled out of IPL 11. He, alongside Australian skipper Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, was caught in a horrendous ball tampering incident and has hence received a one-year ban.

This surely comes down as hard as a hammer on the heads of SRH loyalists, because Warner was not only their skipper, but also their most consistent performer. But they will have to shrug the agony off and think about the best team they can field in Warner's absence.

They have already named Kane Williamson as their skipper, and this is how the 'Orange Army' can line up in the upcoming instalment of the world's biggest cricketing extravaganza.

Openers - Shikhar Dhawan and Manish Pandey

David Warner will not play in the IPL, which means no more David-Dhawan show. Hence, Dhawan will have to pair up with a new opening partner. From the options SRH have in store, Manish Pandey seems the best fit.

Pandey did an exceptional job for KKR earlier. However, the number 3 position is where he'd have liked to bat. That doesn't necessarily mean he won't be able to do the job as an opener. He averaged around 50 in the last IPL, with a strike rate of around 130. This shows that he can play the sheet anchor role.

​