IPL 2018 Auction: What team combinations to expect

Sunrisers Hyderabad

SRH will want Warner and Bhuvi to continue their purple patch in IPL

Players retained - David Warner, Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Right to match cards available : 3

SRH were excellent in the auction last year investing money in unknown players like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi.

Like KKR, they come into the auction with a certain strategy. They have retained two of their most consistent and effective players - Warner and Bhuvi. Apart from these two players they still have three RTM cards with them, one of which is a no brainer, Rashid Khan.

The young Afghan has travelled places after his IPL exploits in his debut season. He has been highly consistent for his national side and he is earning a name for himself playing for Adelaide Strikers in the ongoing Big Bash League. However, the choice for the other two RTM cards isn't that simple.

They would have used their overseas players quota by then (Warner and Rashid), so they will have to take a pick from the Indian players. They have the choice of retaining high profile Indian players like Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj Singh, both of whom haven't been extraordinary for the franchise.

They can go for the younger lot of players as well: Siddharth Kaul, Mohammad Siraj, Deepak Hooda and Vijay Shankar. All these players have been with the national squad of late, and if the franchise wants to form a squad keeping the future in mind, retaining one these players might not be a bad idea.

Prediction for RTM cards - Rashid Khan, Shikhar Dhawan, Siraj/Kaul