$$$$ INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE - 2023 - OFFICIAL THREAD $$$$

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Aiden Markram to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2023

He will replace Kane Williamson, who was released by the franchise after the last season

Aiden Markram has been named the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain for IPL 2023.

Markram, 28, recently led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title, where he also finished as the tournament's third leading run-maker.

Sunrisers had to fill the leadership role after releasing Kane Williamson ahead of the IPL auction last December. The first player retained by the franchises ahead of the mega auction in 2022, Williamson struggled for form as Sunrisers failed to make the playoffs last season finishing eighth. Williamson missed the final league match last season to return to New Zealand for the birth of his child following which Bhuvneshwar Kumar took over the reins.

It is understood that Bhuvneshwar, who has been with the franchise since its inception in 2013, along with Mayank Agarwal (bought in the December auction) and Markram were among the contenders for the leadership position. Markram was chosen for the role by the Sunrisers team management, which is led by Brian Lara, who was appointed as head coach ahead of the auction.

In SA20, Markram proved he could excel both as a captain and a batter while leading Eastern Cape. Alongside making 369 runs at a strike rate of 127 including a century, Markram also bagged 11 wickets at an economy of 6.19 with his part-time offspin - enough to earn 596.6 points and top the Total Impact charts calculated as per ESPNcricnfo's Smart Stats tool.

Sunrisers paid INR 2.6 crore to buy Markram at the 2022 auction. In that season, Markram scored 381 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 139.05 and an average of 47.62.

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Bumrah set to miss IPL 2023

The India fast bowler, who yet to recover completely from the back injury, has been confronted with the option of undergoing surgery

India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss IPL 2023 after being given the option of undergoing a back surgery. ESPNcricinfo has learnt Bumrah is yet to completely recover from the back injury which had ruled him out of the T20 World Cup last year, and that he could also possibly miss the World Test Championship final (if India qualify), which starts on June 7 at The Oval.

The BCCI medical staff at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru is treating Bumrah's case on an urgent basis. It is understood that the staff suggested the surgery option to him following recurring niggles in his lower back which surfaced originally in the form of a stress reaction last August.

A final decision on the next step is expected to be taken soon by the BCCI in coordination with the NCA and Bumrah, keeping in mind the ODI World Cup is scheduled in October-November in India.

It has been a frustrating wait for Bumrah, who has attempted to make a comeback more than once since suffering a back injury last August which had ruled him out of the Asia Cup. Initially, the injury had not seemed too serious as Bumrah was named in India's T20 World Cup squad on September 12. To mark his fitness, Bumrah even played in the last two T20Is of the Australia series on September 23 and 25.

However, three days later, Bumrah did not show up for the first T20I against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram. It was later learned that he had been taken for scans which revealed a stress-related injury. The next day Bumrah was rushed to NCA where further scans confirmed the injury was serious, and he was subsequently ruled out of the T20 World Cup.

Bumrah resumed his rehab in November and started to bowl by mid-December. His progress seemed positive when the selectors belatedly added him for the white-ball series against Sri Lanka more than a week after the Indian squad was picked originally.

While Bumrah had performed the match simulation exercises at NCA, he felt discomfort while performing higher workloads during a fitness drill in Mumbai in early January. Scans revealed a fresh niggle had developed, which eventually ruled him out of the Australia Tests. The Indian team management as well as the NCA want Bumrah to return only when he is absolutely fit to perform at his peak, with captain Rohit Sharma also warning India against rushing him back into action.

[CricPokChic]

Royal Challengers' Will Jacks ruled out of IPL 2023 due to injury

RCB have been in discussions with Michael Bracewell as his potential replacement