IPL 2023: Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in first match in absence of Aiden Markram
Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be leading the Sunrisers Hyderabad in absence of captain Aiden Markram in their first match. In a post shared the Indian Premier League Twitter handle, Kumar can be seen standing alongside the captains of the other 9 franchises in the official unveiling of this season’s trophy.
Markram is currently in South Africa for for a 2-match ODI series against Netherlands which may have major implications for their qualification status in the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup. Markram will arrive in India on the April 3 after Hyderabad have played their first match against Rajasthan Royals on April 2.
Bhuvneshwar has had experience leading the side before, having captained the franchise in 2019 for 6 matches and once in 2022.
Game Face 🔛
ARE. YOU. READY for #TATAIPL 2023❓ pic.twitter.com/eS5rXAavTK
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2023
Meanwhile, the 28-year old Markram staked his claim after leading the Sun Group-owned Sunrisers Eastern Cape team to clinch the inaugural SA20 title. He scored 336 runs, including a century in the semi-final and took 11 wickets in the tournament. The Proteas all rounder also had a great IPL season last year where he scored 381 runs at an average of 47.63 with a strike-rate of over 139 with three half-centuries.
When asked if he is open to leading the side in the high-profile IPL, Markram had responded in the affirmative. “What’s going to happen, to be honest… either way we back the management’s decision about who they want to be in charge,” Markram had said during the SA20.
