Sunrisers Eastern Cape announce Aiden Markram and Ottneil Baartman as their first signings 

Sunrisers Eastern Cape have roped in the South African duo of Aiden Markram and Ottneil Baartman as their first set of signings ahead of the inaugural Cricket South Africa T20 League (CSA T20).

The new-found franchise, owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), dipped their toes in the international market with the acquisition of the Port Elizabeth-based team at the auction in July 2022.

Markram, the 27-year-old Proteas player, represented SRH in the 2022 edition of the IPL. The right-arm batter's involvement in the SunRisers' setup continues the trend of IPL franchises signing their respective players for their overseas ventures as well.

The Eastern Cape's second signing comes in the form of the 29-year-old uncapped Ottneil Baartman. The right-arm pacer has represented Northern Cape in the CSA Provincial T20 Cup. He has cultivated a reputation for being a dependable death bowler and has claimed 41 wickets in 35 T20 matches at a frugal economy of 6.21.

Most notably, Baartman received his maiden call-up to the national side during South Africa's home series against Pakistan in 2021. However, he was ruled out of the tour due to medical reasons.

According to the guidelines of the CSA, all six franchises are allowed to sign up to five players prior to the inaugural auction. Among the five players, it is imperative that one South African international player and one uncapped South African player be included.

Aiden Markram scored 381 runs in his debut season for SunRisers

The former U-19 World Cup winning captain has been a consistent performer for both his national team as well as his franchises over the last few months. He played a pivotal role in the middle order for SRH in IPL 2022, where he scored 381 runs at a strike rate of 139.05.

Since the onset of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Markram has recorded four fifties in eight innings for the national team. His batting exploits led him to be named South Africa's T20I player of the year at the recently conducted Cricket South Africa awards.

Will Markram and Baartman prove to be fruitful signings for the franchise? Let us know what you think.