MANISH PANDEY

Manish Pandey has been under the shadows of his teammates far too long and he might well capitalize on this season to be a superstar with the bat. He grabbed eyeballs in 2009 when the IPL moved out of India for the first time and became the first Indian to score a century in the format. He then switched from RCB and was used as a finisher by KKR.

Despite playing at different positions over the years, he has not been able to make a particular batting position his own. In 120 IPL innings, Pandey has scored 2,843 runs at an average of 29.31 and a strike rate of 120.82. His unorthodox technique with the bat will suit him in UAE conditions and the 31-year-old can prove to be a handy batsman throughout the tournament.

“Feeling of playing with my childhood idol Rahul Dravid was surreal,” says Manish Pandey

Pandey must bat at a particular position for the entirety of the season to get the best out of him. Slotting him at No. 3 and allowing him to play as many deliveries as possible might be the best bet for SRH. The fact that he has been brilliant in the shortest format for India will give him enough confidence to back his natural game.