The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have announced South African batsman Aiden Markram as their team captain for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts on March 31, 2023. This announcement comes after the team chose not to retain their former captain Kane Williamson during the IPL 2023 auction.
Markram had an impressive run in the last season, scoring 381 runs in 14 matches with an average of 47.63 runs. He also played a crucial role in helping the Sunrisers Eastern Cape side win the SA 20 title. He had previously expressed his interest in becoming the SRH captain and had mentioned his previous experience as a captain, stating, “I have been captaining for a while before this tournament started. It’s been a nice experience, a fresh start, I would say.”
With Markram named as the captain, SRH is looking forward to a fresh start and a promising season.
Let’s take a look at the full team for the upcoming season:
- Abdul Samad
- Abhishek Sharma
- Aiden Markram (Captain)
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Glenn Phillips
- Kartik Tyagi
- Marco Jansen
- Rahul Tripathi
- T. Natarajan
- Umran Malik
- Washington Sundar
- Anmolpreet Singh
- Akeal Hosein
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Mayank Dagar
- Upendra Yadav
- Sanvir Singh
- Samarth Vyas
- Vivrant Sharma
- Mayank Markande
- Adil Rashid
- Heinrich Klaasen
- Mayank Agarwal
- Harry Brook
- Abdul Samad
- Abhishek Sharma
Here are three reasons why Aiden Markram is the ideal choice for SRH captaincy in IPL 2023:
- A Proven Track Record as a Captain : Markram has ample experience leading teams to victories. He captained South Africa’s U-19 team to the World Cup title in 2014, where he finished the tournament as the third-highest run-getter. Additionally, he led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a title win in the inaugural SA20 League, where he was a standout performer with both the bat and the ball. Markram also has experience leading the senior South African side in the past, and has been praised by former captain Graeme Smith as a “future national captain.”
- A Long-Term Prospect : Markram is a young and talented cricketer who has played all three formats for South Africa. He has also represented various teams in T20 leagues around the world, including the IPL. Despite being an experienced campaigner, there is a school of thought that he is yet to hit his peak form. However, Markram has shown signs of coming of age over the last year, with some match-winning performances for SRH and SEC in the SA20 League. With SRH retaining him ahead of the IPL 2023 auction, Markram is certainly a long-term prospect for the franchise.
- In Good Form Ahead of IPL 2023 : Markram’s recent form has been phenomenal, especially with the bat. He finished as the third-highest run-getter in the SA20 League, with 366 runs to his name, including a sensational century in the semi-final. He has been a consistent performer for the teams he represents, contributing with both bat and ball.
SRH had several options for the captaincy role, including their new recruit Mayank Agarwal, who had led the Punjab Kings in the previous season of the tournament. However, the team decided to go with Markram, who has proved himself to be a consistent performer and a leader on the field.
As the captain, Markram will have a crucial role to play in leading the team to victory. With the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Washington Sundar, and Adil Rashid in the squad, SRH has a well-rounded team that can compete with the best in the league.
The appointment of Aiden Markram as the new captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad has been met with excitement and anticipation by fans of the team. With a strong team and a promising captain, SRH is looking forward to a successful season in the upcoming IPL 2023.
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