Markram looking forward to "new challenges" at Durban's Super Giants

Johannesburg [South Africa], September 22 (ANI): Aiden Markram is looking forward to "new challenges" when he joins up with Durban's Super Giants for the SA20 Season 4, as per a release from SA20.

The Proteas T20I captain enjoyed three highly successful seasons with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, leading the St George's Park-based team to two successive championship titles and runners-up finish last season.

But although the Sunrisers valiantly tried to keep Markram in their stable by utilising their Right to Match (RTM) card at the auction when the bid reached USD 720K, the Super Giants hit back with an improved USD 806.5K to secure the 30-year-old for the new season.

At the time it was a new auction record, surpassing Markram's former SEC teammate Tristan Stubbs' previous mark of USD 530K although it lasted only for a short while before Pretoria Capitals snapped up Dewald Brevis for a cool USD 950.6K.

"It's exciting. Something new is always exciting. On the other side of it, obviously sad to leave Sunrisers, " Markram told SA20, as quoted from a release by SA20.

"Had a really good three years with them, great people, great coach with Adie Birrell. So that part of it is obviously sad, but I spent some time with Lucknow Super Giants at the IPL and obviously now with Durban or going to Durban is going to be exciting," he added.

"New challenges, different conditions, new teammates, some different teammates. It's always exciting to be able to sort of see those new things and face different challenges," he noted.

The Super Giants are looking to recover from a disappointing Season 3 where they won just two matches from 10 starts, which saw the Kingsmead side rooted to the basement of the SA20 log.

Markram believes with the high-quality squad that DSG have assembled, which includes former England's T20 World Cup-winning captain Jos Buttler, swashbuckler Heinrich Klaasen, exciting fast bowlers Kwena Maphaka and Gerald Coetzee, along with the mystery spin of West Indian legend Sunil Narine and Afghanistan star Noor Ahmad, that the tide is set to turn on the east coast.

"I checked the squad now. There's some world beaters there. When you realize those guys are on your team, naturally you get quite excited about it," he said.

"None more so than Klaasie (Klaasen) ... he's been lighting the world on fire the last 18 months or whatever it's been, two years, maybe even longer. Really good signings at the auction as well. Good players, some nice young, exciting players with your proper X-Factor guys as well. I'm excited to mingle with everyone, excited to create a good, happy, fun environment. That's what the SA20 is about for me and I'm sure everyone's going to love their time there in Durban," he noted.

DSG face an immediate test of their quality in Season 4 when they go head-to-head with defending champions MI Cape Town in the competition opener at Newlands on December 26. (ANI)

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