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Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has revealed that former New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin will take on the role of pace-bowling coach for the upcoming 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Franklin, a former left-arm fast-bowler, steps into the position previously held by the legendary South African pacer Dale Steyn, who, due to personal reasons, will not be part of the team this season.
The franchise officially announced the change on Monday, stating, “Dale Steyn will not be joining us this season due to personal reasons, and James Franklin will be the Pace Bowling Coach for this season. Welcome on board, James!”
James Franklin boasts an impressive cricketing career, having played 31 Tests, 110 ODIs, and 38 T20Is for New Zealand between 2001 and 2013. His association with Mumbai Indians in the 2011 and 2012 IPL seasons as a player now transitions into his maiden coaching stint with SRH.
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Franklin reunites with former New Zealand teammate Daniel Vettori, who assumed the role of SRH head coach after IPL 2023. The duo previously collaborated as an assistant coach and head coach, respectively, at the Birmingham Phoenix franchise in The Hundred and with the Middlesex County team.
Notably, Franklin brings coaching experience from his time as the head coach of Durham in English county cricket from 2019 to 2022 and his current role as the bowling coach of Islamabad United in the ongoing season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
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In another significant development, SRH announced Australia’s Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins as the captain for the IPL 2024 season, succeeding Aiden Markram. This marks Cummins’ debut as an IPL captain, following a stellar 2023 where he led Australia to victory in the World Test Championship and the Men’s ODI World Cup, as well as retaining the Ashes in England.
Cummins takes over the captaincy from David Warner, becoming the second Australian to lead SRH after Warner’s stint from 2015 to 2021. Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL 2016 winners, will commence their IPL 2024 campaign on March 23 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, with their first home match scheduled for March 27 against Mumbai Indians at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.