Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner says Trent Boult’s superior form is keeping Dale Steyn out of the team.

Steyn is yet to play a game at this year’s IPL. South Africa’s spearhead bowler had a poor World Cup, and now finds himself competing with the red-hot Boult for a place in the Sunrisers team.

Boult, who made his IPL debut this year, was the joint leading wicket-taker at the World Cup and has taken four wickets in two games so far.

IPL teams are only allowed to pick four overseas players. The Sunrisers have thus far opted to go with Warner, Boult, Kane Williamson and Ravi Bopara, which means Steyn has had to miss out.

Steyn is the highest wicket-taker across three seasons for the Sunrisers, but it seems he will have to wait his turn.

Warner, Bopara and Boult contributed significantly in the recent eight-wicket victory over Bangalore, but it was not long before the skipper was asked about Steyn in the post-match press conference.

‘You have to look at someone like Trent Boult. He is in fantastic form. Look at the World Cup,’ said Warner, justifying why Boult had pipped Steyn to the XI.

‘The conditions suited him here [he picked up three wickets in the 19th over], and suited him in the last game [in Chennai]. We just feel at the moment Trent is a bit ahead of Dale.

‘We [will] definitely use Dale throughout the tournament, and it helps having Ravi and Moises [Henriques, who has not yet played a game] as international all-rounders.’

Steyn was initially signed up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for $1.2m in the 2011 auction.