BENGALURU: Retaining core players from last season was on the agenda of all teams, and Sunrisers Hyderabad hit the nail on the head. With three RTMs available, they got back Shikhar Dhawan, Deepak Hooda and Rashid Khan.
Besides, Kane Williamson for Rs 3 crore was a good deal. Add David Warner and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the core is already there. The franchise also went a step ahead, making some brilliant buys like Carlos Brathwaite, Shakib Al Hasan and Manish Pandey.
"Very pleased with the way the auction has gone so far, especially getting back Shikhar. Shakib, Shikhar and Manish were our top options and we were lucky that we could nail them down," SRH mentor VVS Laxman said.
SRH came to the auction having done their homework. They missed a quality finisher last season and were dependent on openers Warner and Dhawan. With the inclusion of Brathwaite and Yusuf Pathan, they have plugged that gap.
Rashid and Bhuvneshwar will play the lead role in the bowling department. With the likes of Basil Thampi and T Natarajan adding pace, they have a rich variety.