IPL Auction 2022: 3 reasons why Kane Williamson will be the perfect skipper for SRH
Kane Williamson gave his stock a major boost ahead of the mega-auction that will precede the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. He gave a fine performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup final, albeit in a losing cause.
Williamson smashed 85 off 48 deliveries, with three sixes and 10 boundaries in his knock, to help New Zealand post 172 against Australia. However, Australia were able to comfortably chase down the target to win their maiden men's T20 World Cup title.
The joint-highest score in a #T20WorldCupFinal from Kane Williamson 🔢
A knock for the ages 👏
#T20WorldCup | #NZvAUS | bit.ly/3orRzPf https://t.co/FJdWmod5TK
Williamson is currently part of the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise. He was even appointed their captain mid-way through a tumultuous IPL 2021 season.
SRH finished bottom of the table after a poor season. They also saw a shuffle in leadership as they dropped David Warner in favour of the New Zealand skipper to lead them.
SRH will have four retentions available to them. Williamson is likely to be among them, despite a lukewarm showing in the previous season.
The 2021 T20 World Cup would no doubt have convinced SRH to keep Williamson and build a team around him. They would want to keep him for his abilities as a batter. Moreover, they would like to make sure that he is the one leading them for the next few years to come.
Here are 3 reasons why Kane Williamson is the best choice for the SRH captaincy role
#1 David Warner's exit
David Warner had been SRH's captain since 2015, a year after he joined the team.
Barring the 2018 season, when he could not play due to the Sandpapergate scandal in South Africa, Warner led the franchise well. He helped them win their only IPL title in 2016.
Warner had also been massive with the bat, scoring over 500 runs every season barring the last one.
The Australian southpaw is set to part ways with the franchise. His exit will leave a void not only as a player but also as a captain. He was a hugely inspirational figure who had become synonymous with the team.
Williamson is one of the biggest names in cricket right now. If SRH can convince him to stay on and lead the team, they can build around him.
Williamson has shown he can be the lead man with the bat with his 735-run season in Warner's absence in 2018.
With his 'nice guy' image and generally classy behavior, Williamson is also one of the most liked cricketers globally. His presence in the team will help SRH build and expand their fanbase.
#2 Leadership record
Kane Williamson has proven his credentials as captain many times. Leading New Zealand to the T20 World Cup 2021 final was the latest feather in his cap.
Prior to that, he took the Kiwis to the final of the 2019 World Cup. He then played a central role in them winning the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship in 2021.
In ICC tournaments
NZ under Kane Williamson captaincy
2019 WC final (runner-up)
2021 world test championship winners
Entered into 2021 T20 WC Final https://t.co/XFS8I9D5Pf
In the IPL too, Williamson has proven to be a wily operator, leading SRH to the final in 2018 in his only full season as captain.
Williamson has shown he can get the best out of his teammates and is also tactically very astute.
#3 Competition for captains
This season, two new franchises are entering the fray in the IPL. Meanwhile, some franchises like Royal Challengers Bangalore are set to look for a new captain. Hence, there is going to be high competition for good leaders in the IPL 2022 mega-auction.
SRH have Williamson in their team already and can avoid getting into the scrap for marquee players by simply retaining him.
When it comes to captaincy, there aren't a lot of players as good as Williamson. With the whole David Warner saga, he can give them once again the stability that saw them become a constant in the playoff spots.