Sunrisers Hyderabad name Brian Lara as head coach

Former West Indies batter Brian Lara has been named the head coach of Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2023 edition of the tournament. Lara, who served as the strategic advisor and batting coach for the franchise last year, will take the charge from Tom Moody in what will be his first assignment as a T20 franchise head coach.

Lara had emerged as the frontrunner after the franchise and Moody mutually agreed to end their association, following two forgettable seasons at the tournament: the Sunrisers took the wooden spoon, losing 11 of their 14 games in 2021, and the shambolic edition was followed by an eighth-spot finish in 2022 – when the IPL became a ten-team tournament with the addition of Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants to the existing pool – as they lost eight in 14.

With Moody in charge, the Sunrisers made it into the playoffs five times between 2013 and 2019, including the title-winning 2016 edition, Sunrisers’ only title in tournament history. The 2022 edition was Moody’s second stint as the head coach as he returned to that role in the aftermath of Trevor Bayliss’ decision to step down.