Shikhar Dhawan might replace David Warner as Sunrisers Hyderabad captain

Veteran Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan can be handed over the captaincy of Sunrisers Hyderabad again as David Warner has been barred from participating in the upcoming eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League.

With Warner no longer in Hyderabad squad, Dhawan, one of the senior-most players in the team is likely to lead the side. Sunrisers Hyderabad has clinched their maiden title in 2016 under the captaincy of David Warner.

However, following the lead of Cricket Australia, BCCI has decided to relieve the players and terminate their IPL contracts.

Also Read: BCCI bars the Steve Smith and David Warner from IPL

Dhawan had earlier led now-defunct Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad during earlier seasons.

Apart from Dhawan, New Zealand batsman, Kane Williamson and Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Haasan are also among the front-runners of the candidature.

If Shikhar Dhawan becomes the captain, this would be for the first time in IPL history, when all the IPL teams would be led by an Indian captain. Rajasthan Royals has already appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their skipper and Sunrisers Hyderabad would soon announce their skipper as well.

Luke Ronchi: A possible replacement

Former New Zealand wicket-keeper, Luke Ronchi might be roped in for the upcoming edition of the IPL, considering his recent breakthrough performance in the Pakistan Super League.

Ronchi announced his retirement from international cricket last year but he continues to play in the franchise-based T20 tournaments around the world.

The 36-year old played four ODIs and three T20 matches for Australia in 2008 and 2009 before coming back to play for his native side, New Zealand.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad:

Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Moises Henriques, Naman Ojha, Ricky Bhui, Kane Williamson, Siddarth Kaul, Bipul Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh, Ben Cutting, Abhimanyu Mithun, Mustafizur Rahman, Barinder Sran, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Nabi, Eklavya Dwivedi, Rashid Khan, Pravin Tambe, Ben Laughlin, Tanmay Agarwal, Mohammed Siraj.

Note: One player to be added to the squad.