IPL 2023: Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Lead Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Absence of Aiden Markram

IPL 2023: Fans will see the live action of one of the biggest sporting events in a day’s time. The much-awaited 16th edition of the Indian Premier League will get underway on Friday, March 31. It will start with a blockbuster game between the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium. All teams are busy with their preparations for the marquee event. Meanwhile, some teams will miss their key players due to various reasons.

Some players have been ruled out due to injury, while others are yet to join their respective IPL teams. One name that has not joined the team is star South African batter Aiden Markram. Notably, Sunrisers Hyderabad has named Markram their captain after he led the franchise to victory in the inaugural SA 20. However, he is currently on national duty and will miss the first few games for SRH.

IPL 2023: Bhuvneshwar Kumar to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in the absence of Aiden Markram

South Africa will host the Netherlands for two ODIs starting on March 31 and will end on April 2. Both ODIs are important for the Proteas because their World Cup qualification is on the line. It means he will miss the season’s opener for the Orange Army. SRH is scheduled to play its first game of the season on Sunday, April 2 against the Rajasthan Royals. It will take place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, and be a day game. 

In the absence of Markram, it will be veteran SRH pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who will lead the team in their opening game on Sunday. He has already led the team in seven games and has two wins and five losses under his belt. However, he will look to start the tournament with a win after a disappointing performance in 2022. Last season, it was Kane Williamson who led the team, but the franchise released him ahead of the 2023 IPL auction.

SRH will also miss Marco Jansen apart from Markram. Meanwhile, RR will also miss their pacer, Prasidh Krishna, who has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. The franchise has picked former SRH pacer Sandeep Sharma as his replacement. Markram will be available for SRH’s second game on April 7 against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium.