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SunRisers Hyderabad grabbed the headlines ahead of IPL 2023 auction by releasing their captain Kane Williamson.
The Orange Army had retained Williamson as their number one player before the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. However, a poor showing from the Kiwi batsman this year has led to his ouster from the team.
At the moment, SRH do not have too many leadership options in their squad. There is Aiden Markram, who has captained South Africa, and also Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has led the franchise in a few matches. But while Markram and Kumar are decent options, SRH may look to sign someone with more captaincy experience for IPL 2023.
Here's a list of five players that SunRisers Hyderabad can target as their new skipper.
#1 Kane Williamson
Williamson had a forgettable IPL season in 2022. He scored 216 runs in 13 innings at a disappointing strike rate of 93.51. But while Williamson's numbers were not up to the mark, fans should not forget that he is a world-class player who is likely to return to form in the near future.
SunRisers Hyderabad retained him for ₹14 crore last season. It is possible that the Orange Army have released him now just to buy him back at a cheaper price at the auction.
If they get Williamson back for an amount less than ₹10 crore, they can utilize the remaining funds to sign another top talent.
#2 Dasun Shanaka
Dasun Shanaka has achieved much success as Sri Lanka's captain in 2022. The Islanders did not have the strongest squad in the Asia Cup 2022, but Shanaka led them to the championship. Overall, Shanaka has won 21 T20Is as Sri Lanka's captain.
He has decent numbers for a pace-bowling all-rounder as well. The Sri Lankan skipper could be a long-term answer to SunRisers Hyderabad's captaincy question.
#3 Jason Holder
Jason Holder is one of the most underrated all-rounders in T20I cricket. He played for the Lucknow Super Giants last season and took 14 wickets in 12 games. However, Holder did not get enough opportunities to showcase his batting skills.
He has played for SunRisers Hyderabad in the past and contributed to the team's success. In 16 games, he aggregated 167 runs and scalped 31 wickets for the Orange army.
Considering his leadership experience as West Indies captain, Holder can be a wildcard option to captain SRH.
#4 Mayank Agarwal
In case SRH do not go for Kane Williamson at the IPL 2023 Auction, they will need a new opening batter as well. And Mayank Agarwal could fit the opener and captain's role to perfection. Agarwal was the skipper of Punjab Kings last season.
While Agarwal did not have a great IPL 2022 season, one cannot deny that he is one of the top batters in India at the moment. He needs one good knock to get his form back, and SRH should think of investing in his services.
#5 Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes has proven himself as a match-winner in all three formats of cricket. The experienced campaigner was adjudged as the most valuable Player of the Tournament in the IPL 2017 season. On top of that, Stokes has been terrific as England's Test captain.
The southpaw has a fantastic record as a captain and as an all-rounder. If SunRisers Hyderabad manages to buy him at the IPL 2023 Auction, Stokes could solve a lot of problems for the franchise.
