3 reasons why SRH should appoint Aiden Markram as skipper for IPL 2023
There are now less than two months to go before the start of the 16th edition of the biggest T20 league in the world, the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
All the squads have been finalized and all the teams are looking good on paper. However, a couple of franchises are yet to make a decision on who will lead them in the marquee tournament. Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad are among those who need to appoint a captain sooner rather than later.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, who previously won the IPL in 2016 have a few interesting options as far as the captaincy is concerned.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has led the team on several occasions in the past and is in the reckoning for the top job. Apart from him, players like Rahul Tripathi, Mayank Agarwal and Aiden Markram are also among the candidates. While Tripathi does not have much captaincy experience, Agarwal has led Punjab Kings in the past without much success.
Markram too has some experience as captain and he could just be the guy at the helm for SRH. Here, we look at three reasons as to why Markram should be appointed as SRH's captain for this year's IPL.
#1 Has a lot of captaincy experience and has delivered titles
Not only does Markram have experience as captain, he also knows what it takes to win championships, having led South Africa to the U-19 World Cup title in 2014. He was prolific as he played responsilbly, finishing the tournament as the third-highest run getter with 370 runs from six games.
He has further bolstered his chances after leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a title win in the inaugural SA20 League. He led from the front, performing every time his team needed him. He admitted after the final that the extra responsibility of leadership tends to bring out the best in him.
Markram has also led the senior South African side in the past, filling in for an injured Faf du Plessis. Graeme Smith, arguably South Africa's best ever captain, once described Markram as a "future national captain."
#2 Can be a long term prospect
There is no doubt about the enormous talent that Markram possesses. On top of that, he is now an experienced campaigner, having featured in all three formats for his country. He has also represented a lot of teams in T20 leagues around the world, including the IPL, but there is a school of thought which says that he is yet to hit peak form.
Over the last year or so though, Markram has displayed signs of his coming of age, with some match-winning shows for SRH in the IPL and also for SEC in the SA20. SRH retained him ahead of the IPL 2023 auction in December and will be looking at him as a long-term prospect. He is definitely one of the core members of the squad at the moment and thus, can be a good option for the top job.
#3 He is in good form ahead of IPL 2023
Markram shone with the bat for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, finishing as the third-highest run getter in the inaugural SA20 league, with 366 runs to his name. He smashed a sensational century in the semi-final against the Joburg Super Kings, helping his side post a massive total of 213 in their designated 20 overs.
He has been in good form for quite a while now, contributing to the various teams that he represents, not only with the bat, but also with the ball, bagging some important wickets at times.