Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead SRH against Rajasthan Royals in their opening contest of IPL 2023

Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) side in their opening contest of IPL 2023 against the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, April 2. Regular captain Aiden Markram will miss the match due to international cricket commitments.

He will represent South Africa in two ODI matches of a rescheduled series against the Netherlands team at home. Benoni will host the second ODI on March 31, while Johannesburg will be the venue for the final ODI on April 2.

Along with him, SRH will also miss the services of all-rounder Marco Jansen and wicket-keeping batter Heinrich Klaasen in their opening match. With direct qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup on the line, the South African team management has selected a strong squad for this series.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has led the SRH side on seven occasions so far. He managed to win two matches and ended up losing the remaining five games.

The Hyderabad franchise finished in eighth position in the points table last year. With a new captain at the helm and the addition of a few new players in the squad, they will be eager to improve their performances this season.

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SRH's complete schedule for the IPL 2023

Match 1: April 2 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, Hyderabad

Match 2: April 7 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow

Match 3: April 9 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings, Hyderabad

Match 4: April 14 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata

Match 5: April 18 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, Hyderabad

Match 6: April 21 - Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai

Match 7: April 24 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, Hyderabad

Match 8: April 29 - Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi

Match 9: May 4 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Hyderabad

Match 10: May 7 - Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Jaipur

Match 11: May 13 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants, Hyderabad

Match 12: May 15 - Gujarat Titans vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ahmedabad

Match 13: May 18 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Hyderabad

Match 14: May 21 - Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai