Brook key in middle order, Umran to lead pace attack: A look at Sunrisers Hyderabad's strongest possible XI for IPL 2023

Aiden Markram has been appointed as Sunrisers Hyderabad's captain for IPL 2023. The franchise made some smart additions in the IPL 2023 Auction, purchasing the likes of Harry Brook and Mayank Agarwal.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had a disappointing campaign in IPL 2022, finishing in eight position in the ten-team league table with 12 points in 14 matches, packed with six wins and eight defeats. IPL 2022 saw Gujarat Titans finish the league phase in pole position with 20 points from 14 games, including 10 wins and four losses. In their debut season, the Hardik Pandya-led side defeated Rajasthan Royals in the playoff to reach the finals, and then faced Sanju Samson and Co. once again in the title clash, winning by seven wickets. SRH will be aiming to put in a better display in IPL 2023 and challenge for the playoffs.

SRH will open their campaign on April 2, against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad.(Instagram)

To fuel their ambitions, the franchise made some good additions during the IPL 2023 Auction, purchasing England batter Harry Brook for ₹13.25 crore and India's Mayank Agarwal for ₹8.25 crore. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen was also roped in for ₹5.25 crores. They also spent big on Vivrant Sharma ( ₹2.6 crores), Adil Rashid ( ₹2 crores) and Mayank Dagar ( ₹1.8 crores). Meanwhile, they also added Akeal Hosein ( ₹1 crore), Mayank Markande ( ₹50 lakhs), Upendra Singh Yadav ( ₹25 lakhs), Sanvir Singh ( ₹20 lakhs), Anmolpreet Singh ( ₹20 lakhs), Samarth Vyas ( ₹20 lakhs) and Nitish Kumar Reddy ( ₹20 lakhs).

SRH released last season's captain Kane Williamson ahead of the auction and have a new skipper in the guise of Aiden Markram. The franchise's purchase of Mayank has also added another leader to the ranks, other than boosting their top order. Meanwhile, Brook's arrival will add a certain level of excitement, and his batting in the middle order will be crucial. Also the addition of spinner Rashid brings something extra to the team. Rashid was crucial for England in their T20 World Cup glory last year, and was also hailed by his country's captain Jos Buttler.

Mayank will be expected to open the batting for Mayank, and will be joined by Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi in the top order. Boasting a strong middle order, the franchise could go with Markram, Brook and Klaasen. Furthermore, Washington Sundar and Marco Jansen will also add to the batting depth. The tailenders are expected to consist of Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi and T Natarajan. Jansen's presence also provides depth to the franchise's pace battery. Rashid is not expected to start in the beginning, so Sundar, Markram and Abhishek will be the spin options.

With IPL 2023 starting on March 31, SRH will open their campaign on April 2, against Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's strongest possible XI for IPL 2023:

Mayank Agarwal, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (c), Harry Brook, Heinrich Klaasen, Washington Sundar, Marco Jansen, Umran Malik, Kartik Tyagi, T Natarajan

Sunrisers Hyderabad's squad for IPL 2023: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram (capt), Harry Brook, Abdul Samad, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips, Heinrich Klaasen, Upendra Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Vivrant Sharma, Sanvir Singh, Samarth Vyas, Mayank Dagar, Adil Rashid, Mayank Markande, Akeal Hosein, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Marco Jansen, Kartik Tyagi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan, Fazalhaq Farooqi