After facing a crushing defeat in their IPL 2023 campaign opener, Sunrisers Hyderabad will be bolstered by the return of their South African recruits, including their newly-appointed skipper Aiden Markram when they face Lucknow Super Giants in an away match on Friday. Markram missed the first game due to national commitment and it was Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who led SRH in the game, which they lost by a huge 72-run margin against Rajasthan Royals. But in a big boost to the team, Markram and two fellow South Africans -- Marco Jansen and Heinrich Klaasen -- have joined the side after completing their national duty.
SRH may drop Adil Rashid from the playing XI vs LSG to rope in Markram.
SRH finished last in 2021 and eighth among 10 teams last year and they will bank on Markram's leadership skills to deliver results this season. However, if the opening game is anything to go by, SRH cut a sorry figure as they struggled against RR, who dominated both the powerplays.
Coached by the legendary Brain Lara, SRH will look to put up a much better show, especially in the powerplay on Friday. The arrival of the South African players came as big relief for SRH as Markram, apart from his tactical acumen, can provide solidity to the batting line-up and Jansen can add teeth to their pace department.
Save T Natarajan (2/23), none of the seamers could put up a fight against RR. While Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed two wickets, he ended up conceding 41 runs in four overs, while Bhuvneshwar, despite all his experience, was not good enough.
Umran Malik claimed a wicket but he too was expensive, bleeding 32 in 3 overs.
In the spin department, Washington Sundar and Adil Rashid had an ordinary day and they will have to buck up if SRH want to put the opponent batters under pressure. The side might be tempted to rest Fazalhaq Farooqi and give Jansen a go.
In the batting department, Mayank Agarwal looked good but other Indians -- Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi -- failed to open their accounts, making the top order an area of concern.
While wicketkeeper-batter Glenn Phillips and Harry Brooks are exciting players, they will have to get into the groove quickly.
SunRisers Hyderabad Predicted XI vs Lucknow Super Giants:
Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, T Natarajan
(With PTI Inputs)