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South African cricket legend AB de Villiers has weighed in on the decision by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to remove Aiden Markram as captain ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The move comes after SRH finished at the bottom of the points table in the previous season, prompting significant changes in leadership and coaching roles.
Pat Cummins appointed as captain
SRH made waves in the cricketing world by appointing current Australian skipper Pat Cummins as their new captain. Cummins, who was acquired for a staggering INR 20.5 crore in the IPL 2024 auction, now holds the distinction of being the second most expensive player in IPL history.
Aiden Markram’s recent success
Markram, who recently led SunRisers Eastern Cape to their second consecutive SA20 title, found himself replaced as SRH captain despite his domestic success. Under his leadership, however, SRH struggled and finished at the bottom of the IPL 2023 points table.
AB de Villiers gives his take on the development
De Villiers expressed his disappointment at Markram’s removal as captain, acknowledging his leadership qualities and recent achievements in domestic cricket. De Villiers, a former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player, emphasized the importance of giving Markram more time to settle into his role as captain.
“There’s reason for him (Pat Cummins) to be captain in that team, even though it’s a bit of a surprise to most people, a bit of an upset to me perhaps to see Aiden Markram being moved across and sort of just had to make way for Pat Cummins there, even though Aiden Markram has won back-to-back SA20 tournaments. I think he’s a fantastic captain, and they were just getting used to him as captain there at the SRH. So, it is disappointing to me, to him, and to all South African fans, but if it is for the best of the SRH team, then so be it,” said De Villiers on his YouTube channel.
Also READ: ‘Kavya Maran will regret it’ – Fans react as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) names Pat Cummins as their new captain for IPL 2024
Understanding SRH’s decision
Despite his disappointment, De Villiers understood SRH’s decision to appoint Cummins as captain, citing the Australian’s recent success in leading his national team to two ICC titles. De Villiers also recognized the influence of the Australian coaching staff, including head coach Daniel Vettori, on SRH’s decision-making process.
“It’s quite a surprise, but not a big surprise to me, thinking of the involvement of Daniel Vettori, who was with the Australian team. Also, we might see some involvement with Andrew McDonald. You just see a bit of an Australian flavour coming into that Sunrisers Hyderabad team,” added De Villiers.
