Pat Cummins has been named the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2024, taking over from Aiden Markram, who led the team in the 2023 season. Pat Cummins was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 20.5 crore at the auction in December.
Cummins has not previously captained any team in the IPL, nor has he led a team in T20 cricket. However, his appointment follows a successful period as captain of Australia, leading them to victory in the World Test Championship and the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Now talking about the deputy of Pat Cummins, the Hyderabad-based franchise is planning to give the vice-captaincy of SRH to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and not the SA20 winning captain Aiden Markram as per reports.
Last year, Aiden Markram captained Sunrisers Hyderabad, but the franchise struggled and finished at the bottom of the points table with just four wins. However, he has shown leadership skills in the SA20 league in South Africa, where he led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to consecutive titles in 2023 and 2024.
On the other hand, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a veteran player who has been with the franchise for a long time. Perhaps the management intends to reward him for his consistency and outstanding performances by naming him as the vice-captain.
In addition to the captaincy change, SRH has also appointed a new head coach for the 2024 IPL season, with former New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori taking over from Brian Lara, who had replaced Tom Moody as coach for IPL 2023.
SRH has also replaced Dale Steyn with former New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin as their bowling coach. SRH will kick off their IPL 2024 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on March 23, followed by a match against Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad on March 27.