Newly-appointed SunRisers Hyderabad captain Aiden Markram also was asked to choose a potential vice-captain candidate for the former champions for IPL 2023.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 23, 2023 17:17 IST
MS Dhoni has continued to play IPL after international retirement in 2020 (Courtesy of BCCI/PTI)
By India Today Sports Desk: Newly-appointed SunRisers Hyderabad captain Aiden Markram on Thursday said he would love to have MS Dhoni playing in SA20, adding that the former India captain’s experience and knowledge about the game will be of great benefit to local South Africa players.
Stressing that the success and the impact of the inaugural edition of SA20 exceeded his expectation, Aiden Markram picked MS Dhoni as one player that he would want to share the dressing room with youngsters in South Africa. Markram led SunRisers Eastern Cape to title in the inaugural edition of SA20, beating Pretoria Capitals in the final. The T20 competition, which kicked off after multiple delays, brought crowds back to the stadiums in the Rainbow Nation, leading to a carnival-like atmosphere at the venues.
Markram, speaking to reporters in a press conference organised by SA20, said he can think of many Indian players whom he wants to feature in SA20, but Dhoni was at the top of his mind.
“To be honest with you, someone like MS (Dhoni) would be great to have in your camp just for the guys to be able to learn from him. He has got all the knowledge and seen everything that this game has produced. For our local players in South Africa to be able to spend time with someone like MS Dhoni would be great. That’s one that comes to my mind, firstly but there would be a lot of players that would be discussed for sure,” Markram said.
On Thursday, Markram was appointed as the captain of SunRisers Hyderabad with the South African batting star set to replace Kane Williamson, who was released after the former champions finished 8th.
MAYANK OR BHUVNESHWAR?
SunRisers Hyderabad bought last season’s Punjab Kings captain Mayank Agarwal in the auction and had the experience of Bhuvneshwar Kumar to rely on but they backed Markram to lead the side after his success with Eastern Cape.
Responding to a question about potential vice-captaincy options, Markram said it’s difficult to pick one between Bhuvneshwar and Mayank.
“It’s a tough one. I have played under Mayank Agarwal at Kings for half a season. He and I got on really well,” Markram added.
“On the other hand, if you look at the amount of experience someone like Bhuvi has, it’s almost irreplaceable. So to pick one is a difficult one, right now. But both of them would nail it certainly,” he added.
IPL 2023 will get underway on March 31 and SunRisers Hyderabad will play their first match on April 2 against the Rajasthan Royals In Hyderabad.
