Former South African captain AB de Villiers has thrown his support behind Daniel Vettori’s recent appointment as the new head coach of SunRisers Hyderabad for the Indian Premier League.
Vettori officially took the reins as SRH head coach on August 7, succeeding West Indies legend Brian Lara. The former New Zealand skipper previously led the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise between 2014 and 2018.
Presently, Vettori serves as the assistant coach for the Australia men’s team. Reacting to the news on his YouTube channel, De Villiers remarked:
“I’ve played alongside and against Daniel Vettori, and I’ve been under his leadership – it’s an interesting dynamic. Dan has accepted a coaching position with SunRisers Hyderabad. I played under him as RCB coach a few years back, and I must say he’s a wonderful human being, a fantastic individual. His unshakable dedication to the well-being of his athletes is outstanding; exactly the qualities you look for in a coach. SunRisers are expected to have a successful season. “With their young squad, I am confident that Dan is the right man to lead them forward.”
Currently at the helm of the Birmingham Phoenix men’s team in The Hundred, Vettori boasts previous coaching experiences with the Barbados Royals in the CPL, Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, and Middlesex in the Vitality Blast. He has also contributed as a spin-bowling consultant for the Bangladesh men’s team.
During Vettori’s coaching tenure, RCB achieved playoff qualification in 2015 and reached the final in 2016, ultimately losing to SunRisers Hyderabad.
Brian Lara had taken over the coaching duties for Hyderabad in preparation for the 2023 IPL season. However, his tenure came to an end after SRH’s lackluster performance, finishing at the bottom of the rankings with only four wins in a total of 14 matches.
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