Pat Cummins became the first player to get an INR 20 Cr plus bid when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) bought him for INR 20.50 Cr in the recent IPL 2024 auction. This deal not only made him one of the most expensive players in the league's history but also positioned him as a strong candidate to potentially lead the team.
SRH didn’t have a very good IPL 2023 in which they were captained by South Africa’s Aiden Markram. SRH managed only 3 wins in 14 games and finished in 10th spot in the IPL 2023, at the bottom-most.
Cummins, 30, brings with him a wealth of experience, including his recent victory as a member of Australia's ODI Men's Cricket World Cup-winning side. With SRH head coach Daniel Vettori hinting at a captaincy change, fans and critics have weighed in on who should captain SRH in the IPL 2024.
Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has stated that he will continue to support Aiden Markram as the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain. The former RCB great believes the South African has an excellent leadership brain and will do better this season with a strong group at his disposal.
"I will still go with Aiden Markram as captain. I've played with this guy before. He's got a very, very good leadership brain on his head. I think he'll do better this season, and that's it. And as well. And it has got a very good squad to work with," said De Villiers on his YouTube channel.
De Villiers also said that SRH having a star-studded overseas lineup wouldn't be a problem and feel they're a very well-balanced outfit. He also backed them to make the playoffs in IPL 2024.
"I don't think the eight overseas players that you're talking about being big stars is a problem. I think they have a very, very good squad, very well-balanced. I think they're gonna make the knockouts this year. I want my calls to go all the way and be there at the back end of the IPL," said De Villiers.
