Since Sunrisers Hyderabad acquired Pat Cummins For a whopping INR 20.50 crore, the main question that remains is who will be their captain for IPL 2024?
No one is backing Aiden Markram to continue and the disbelief over his capabilities has reached such a point that former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar believes that Markram does not even have a chance of breaking into the SRH playing XI due to the presence of Travis Head.
Gavaskar, while speaking to Star Sports, made a bold claim that he would pick Cricket World Cup Final man of the match Travis Head to start ahead of Aiden Markram in the Hyderabad XI.
Markram is the one who recently led SRH’s sister franchise, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, to a second consecutive SA20 title and Head is the one who snatched the WTC and CWC titles from India’s grasp last year.
The left-handed batsman played centurion knocks in two different ICC finals, first in June and then in November. Head scored a brilliant century in the first innings at the Oval before making it 163 and winning the man of the match award as Australia claimed the second World Test Championship final by 209 runs.
Then, on November 19, after recovering from a fracture in one of his hands, Travis Head pursued India and Indian fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium with a sensational 137 off 120 balls during Australia’s successful chase of 241 to claim their sixth CWC trophy and first since 2015.
It was only natural that he would generate anticipation and huge interest in the 2024 IPL auction after such a coup and it was the Sunrisers Hyderabad who spent over Rs 6 crore to include him in their team. But now the main question that arises is where Head will figure in the batting order and Sunil Gavaskar has come up with his own suggestion.
The 74-year-old clarified that Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins and Wanindu Hasaranga will be the clear options for 3 of the 4 overseas spots. He said deciding the fourth foreign player will be a challenge for SRH as they will have to choose between Aiden Markram or Head.
“Klaasen, with the form he has shown, definitely comes in, that’s one. Pat Cummins, as captain, is ranked No. 2. I think you’ll want to look at Hasaranga because he’ll give you those good intermediates, that’s three. The fourth will be the problem for them.” – said Sunil Gavaskar via Star Sports.
“I would choose Travis Head”, Gavaskar leaves out Aiden Markram
Sunny G then said he will pick Head instead of last season’s SRH skipper Aiden Markram, and claimed Pat Cummins will also back his compatriot in the South African international.
“Markram was your captain last time, or do you choose Travis Head? I would choose Head. I think Pat Cummins, if he is the captain, also being Australian and having seen more of Head, he will choose Travis Head.” – Gavaskar concluded.