ESPNcricinfo has learned that Dale Steyn has withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons
In his place, former New Zealand allrounder James Franklin will step in as the bowling coach for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024.
This marks Franklin’s debut coaching stint in the IPL, having previously played for Mumbai Indians in 2011 and 2012. Joining Sunrisers, James Franklin, known for his left-arm seam-bowling skills, will team up with Daniel Vettori, who was appointed head coach by the franchise after the 2023 season. The duo has previously collaborated at both Middlesex and Birmingham Phoenix. Franklin has also served as head coach at Durham and currently assists Islamabad United in the PSL.
Sunrisers boast a strong bowling lineup including Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pat Cummins, Marco Jansen, Umran Malik, T Natarajan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jaydev Unadkat, and the promising Indian talent Akash Singh. Their spin department features Wanindu Hasaranga, Washington Sundar, and Shahbaz Ahmed.
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Vettori and James Franklin face a tough task as Sunrisers finished eighth in 2022 and slipped further to tenth last year, partly due to frequent changes in leadership. Former Australia allrounder Tom Moody was replaced by Brian Lara last year, who, in turn, was replaced after just one season.
Before the 2023 player auction, Sunrisers released Kane Williamson, who had led the franchise since David Warner’s departure in 2021. Williamson, a key figure in Sunrisers’ title-winning campaign in 2016, played for the team for eight seasons and was their most expensive player in 2022. Aiden Markram has taken over the captaincy since last season.
