Sunrisers Hyderabad Eye James Franklin as Bowling Coach Replacement for Dale Steyn

Former New Zealand left-arm pace bowler James Franklin is in talks to replace Dale Steyn as the bowling coach for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, starting March 22nd.

Steyn, who joined SRH as their bowling coach in 2022, has requested a leave of absence for personal reasons this season, according to an anonymous IPL source.

Under coaching of Steyn, Sunrisers Hyderabad made a big stride in terms of fast bowling potential, with emergence potential of likes of Umran Malik.

“We are in talks with him (Franklin) as Dale Steyn will not be available for this season,” the source told PTI.

Franklin, 43, has no prior coaching experience in the IPL, but he has served as a coach for Durham in English county cricket and is currently an assistant coach with the Islamabad United franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

He will be joining forces at SRH with his former teammate Daniel Vettori, who was appointed as the team’s head coach after the 2023 IPL season.

Brian Lara, former Windies cricketer, was forced to resign as Sunrisers Hyderabad coaching head after the team performed unwell in IPL 2023. Despite having a lot of potential and big star players, Hyderabad looked disintegrated and planless at times.

James Franklin and Daniel Vettori have previously worked together at Middlesex County Cricket Club and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred competition.

Franklin represented New Zealand in 31 Tests, 110 One-Day Internationals, and 38 Twenty20 Internationals between 2001 and 2013.