IPL 2023, LSG vs SRH: Hyderabad hunts for inspiration from Aiden Markram to turn tables versus Lucknow

Jolted by a crushing defeat in their campaign opener, former champion Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be bolstered by the return of its South African recruits, including new skipper Aiden Markram, when it plays Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) Match 10 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Friday.

In the absence of Markram, Bhuvneshwar Kumar led SRH in its opening game, losing by a substantial 72-run margin against fellow former champion Rajasthan Royals (RR). But, in a significant boost to the team, Markram and two fellow South Africans -- Marco Jansen and Heinrich Klaasen -- have joined the side after completing their national duty.

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SRH finished last in 2021 and eighth among ten teams last year, and it will bank on Markram's leadership skills to deliver results this season. However, if the opening game is anything to go by, SRH cut a sorry figure as it struggled against RR, who dominated both the powerplays -- racking up 85/1 first and then conceding just 30/2 in the first six overs while defending 203/5.

Coached by the legendary Brain Lara, SRH will look to put up a much better show, especially in the powerplay on Friday. The arrival of the South African players was a significant relief for SRH as Markram, apart from his tactical acumen, can provide solidity to the batting line-up, and Jansen can add teeth to their pace department.

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Save T Natarajan (2/23); no seamers could fight against RR. While Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed two wickets, he conceded 41 runs in four overs, while Bhuvneshwar, despite all his experience, needed to be better. Umran Malik claimed a wicket, but he, too, was expensive, bleeding 32 in three overs.

In the spin department, Washington Sundar and Adil Rashid had an ordinary day, and they will have to buck up if SRH wants to put the opponent batters under pressure. In the batting department, Mayank Agarwal looked good, but other Indians -- Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi -- failed to open their accounts, making the top order an area of concern.

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While wicketkeeper-batter Glenn Phillips and Harry Brooks are exciting players, they must get into the groove quickly. For LSG, skipper KL Rahul's form is the cause of concern as he failed to capitalise on his starts, but Kyle Mayers produced some extraordinary hitting during his two blistering fifties in the last two matches.

Even though the batters failed to take LSG home against former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK), they have chipped in when required. Among bowlers, Ravi Bishnoi has been impressive with five wickets so far, while England pacer Mark Wood blew away Delhi Capitals (DC) with a five-wicket haul in their opening match and accounted for three scalps in its last game. However, LSG bowlers have erred in their lengths at times, and they would be looking to keep a check on the runs as it is a game of small margins.

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Squads:
SRH: Aiden Markram (c & wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh, Harry Brook, Mayank Dagar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Akeal Hosein, Kartik Tyagi, Heinrich Klaasen, Mayank Markande, T Natarajan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Glenn Phillips, Adil Rashid, Sanvir Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Umran Malik, Vivrant Sharma, Samarth Vyas, Washington Sundar and Upendra Yadav.
LSG: KL Rahul (c and wk), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Amit Mishra, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Naveen ul Haq, Ayush Badoni, Avesh Khan, Karan Sharma, Yudhvir Charak, Yash Thakur, Romario Shepherd, Mark Wood, Swapnil Singh, Manan Vohra, Daniel Sams, Prerak Mankad, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat, Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav.

Match details
Date and day: April 7, 2023 (Friday)
Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Time: 7.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and other Star Sports regional language channels - Also available in HD
Where to watch (Online): JioCinema

(With inputs from PTI)