Sunrisers name Moody coach; Laxman, Srikkanth mentors

The Indian Premier League's Hyderabad franchise, now called 'Sunrisers', have appointed former Australia cricketer Tom Moody as the team's new coach, and former India cricketers Krishnamachari Srikkanth and VVS Laxman mentors.

The new owners, Sun TV Network, officially renamed Deccan Chargers as Sunrisers on Thursday, and also unveiled the franchise's new logo, which depicts an eagle soaring high and looking at the rising sun.

"I am happy and excited about being the mentor and probably the strategic analyst for the team. We have people like Tom Moody, VVS Laxman, Dale Steyn and Sangakkara. With the grace of sun god, we hope to shine brighter. We are confident of making a big impact," Srikkanth said.

The Sun group took over the cash-strapped Hyderabad franchise earlier this year for a whopping Rs 425.2 crores after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) terminated the contract of Deccan Chargers.

Srikkanth said most of the players of the previous team have been retained and some more will be picked up when the auction takes place next month.

"We are keen on having players like Ambati Rayudu, Smith, who have been released by Pune, and the Pakistani players if they are available," he said.

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara will lead the new franchise.

Moody, who did not have much success during his coaching stint with Kings XI Punjab, is confident of a good showing in the next edition of the tournament.

"We are confident that the team will be successful in the forthcoming season of the IPL 2013. We are keenly looking forward to it and our game will stand testimony to the competition we will give to other teams," he said.

The team will operate from both Chennai, where Sun Group is headquartered, and also Hyderabad, Sunrisers CEO K Shanmugam said.