Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) named Australian Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins as their skipper ahead of the 2024 edition of the IPL. While it was an expected call given that SRH went as far as splurging INR 20.5 crore on him. However, Aiden Markram, who led the franchise last year, did all things in his control to stay as captain leading Sunrisers' satellite side in SA20 Eastern Cape to a second consecutive title and it looked like the 2016 champions could have been swayed by the same but it wasn't to be.
Analysing each of the 10 franchises on his YouTube channel, senior Indian off-spinner R Ashwin was quite shocked by the decision from SRH because Markram in limited opportunities as skipper has done well even though his outing in the IPL last year didn't go as planned.
"Sunrisers have hit two titles back to back at the SA20. They’ve done it with two extraordinary teams. I was quite shocked, actually. They have made Pat Cummins the captain," Ashwin said. "I was having a small hunch that they would go with Markram,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “Markram had an extraordinary season for his franchise in the SA20. The cross-pollination would have been amazing."
Cummins, on the other hand, has been on a roll since becoming Australian captain having led his side to an Ashes win, an Ashes retention in England, a World Test Championship mace and a World Cup to cap it off. However, Ashwin did say that even though Cummins was a no-brainer if they weren't going to stick with Markram, choosing four overseas stars will be a huge problem for the Orange Army.
"Pat Cummins is a no-brainer. But with Cummins as a captain, they will have a problem of plenty in the team with so many stars. Keeping Travis Head as backup, they would go for Markram, Pat Cummins, (Heinrich) Klaasen, and (Wanindu) Hasaranga. “Because Hasaranga is a crucial facet for them. If they decide Hasaranga is not needed, in some venues they can play (Fazalhaq) Farooqi or Marco Jansen instead of him," Ashwin added.
There is question over Hasaranga and hence Markram, Klaasen, Phillips and Cummins could start for SRH as they begin their campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, March 23 at Eden Gardens.
