Dale Steyn, the legendary South African fast bowler, has requested a break from his role as the bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, even as the franchise may announce Pat Cummins as the captain for the upcoming season of the tournament starting on March 22.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, Steyn is said to have asked the franchise about a break from the coaching role he has at SRH for this year. It added that the franchise is now searching for a new bowling coach and the announcement in this regard could be made soon.
Apart from playing 93 Tests, 125 ODIs, and 47 T20Is in a glittering international career for South Africa, Steyn had played for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad. and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
In 2022, Steyn joined the SRH franchise in a bowling coach role and has been credited with playing a huge role in the development of speedster Umran Malik, who went on to earn an India cap in T20Is and ODIs, and recently got a fast-bowling contract from the BCCI.
The report also said Steyn is expected to return to the franchise next season, pending all necessary arrangements and requirements. After finishing at the bottom of the points table last year, SRH got a new head coach in former New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, currently an assistant coach with the Australian team.
Meanwhile, talking about the SRH captaincy for IPL 2024, the franchise is expected to announce Cummins as their new captain after acquiring him for INR 20.5 crore in the auction in Dubai last year.
Cummins had won the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) and Men’s ODI World Cup as captain of Australia. SRH were captained by Aiden Markram in the previous two seasons but didn’t gain any significant success. Markram, though, successfully led SunRisers Eastern Cape, a sister team of the SRH franchise to the trophy in the first two seasons of the SA20.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL 2016 winners, will open their 2024 campaign on March 23 against two-time winner Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, followed by their first home match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on March 27 against five-time champions Mumbai Indians.