Twitter Reactions: Aiden Markram announced as new Sunrisers Hyderabad captain ahead of IPL 2023

Aiden Markram. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have announced South Africa batter Aiden Markram as the new skipper of the franchise ahead of the sixteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Kaviya Maran-owned franchise took to their social media handle to make the grand announcement for the forthcoming season.

It is worth noting that the Hyderabad-based franchise did not retain Kane Williamson prior to the auction nor did the side re-acquire the services of the Kiwi player in the bidding arena. Williamson led the Hyderabad side in IPL 2022 and concluded the eight-year-old association with the Orange Army in November.

Meanwhile, there was much speculation on who would lead the side and the likes of Mayank Agarwal and Aiden Markram seemed to be the frontrunners to take up the role. However, the wait is over as Hyderabad picked Markram as the new leader of the side.

“THE. WAIT. IS. OVER. #OrangeArmy, say hello to our new captain Aiden Markram,” captioned Sunrisers on their official Twitter handle.

It is worth mentioning that Markram led the Sun Group-owned Sunrisers Eastern Cape to their inaugural SA20 title in South Africa. The Proteas batter notched up 366 runs in 12 outings, which includes a century for the Eastern Cape.

Aiden Markram to lead the Orange Army

Markram joined the Hyderabad-based franchise in 2022 after playing for the Punjab Kings in the 2021 edition. In 14 matches, the batter aggregated 381 runs which includes three half-centuries and a decent strike rate of 139.05.

The side looks fairly balanced considering the likes of Glenn Phillips, Mayank Agarwal, Umran Malik, and Fazalhaq Farooqi will don the Orange outfit for the new season. After an underwhelming 2022 season with just six wins, Markram and Co. will be gunning to bring back glory days and add another title to their cabinet.

While the side appears terrific on paper, it remains to be seen how the management builds a ‘core’ team to compete for the title. SRH are to play runners-up of IPL 2022, Rajasthan Royals, on April 2, 2023 in their campaign opener.

Here is how Netizens welcomed the new leader of the Orange Army-