"It's certainly not up to me" - Kane Williamson on his chances of finding buyers at IPL mini-auction
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has responded to whether or not he will find bidders in the upcoming IPL mini-auction. The classy right-handed batter has left it to fate, stating that it's up to the teams.
Williamson will enter the mini-auction after being released by the SunRisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2023.
Williamson struggled to lead the team from the front, scoring only 216 runs at an average of 19.64, including one fifty. The Orange Army also struggled throughout the competition, winning six out of 14 games.
Speaking ahead of the three-match ODI series against India, he said, as quoted by Hindustan Times:
"In terms of the auction. You know I'll have to wait and see. It's certainly not up to me. People make decisions about their team and what they are after. That's the nature of how it works."
The Tauranga-born batter asserted that he still wants to play all three formats and wants to keep raising the bar, continuing:
"I still love playing all three formats. I enjoy switching between the three. As a player, I'm always looking to keep improving. I still have that motivation. It was a bit frustrating, the other night. That's the way it goes sometimes. I'm still looking at the areas where I can add value."
The Kiwi skipper has also struggled in T20 Internationals, including the T20 World Cup 2022. The right-handed batter scored a scratchy 61 in the first T20I against India while chasing a daunting 192.
"One of our best white-ball players in the world" - Kane Williamson on Martin Guptill
Williamson also addressed Martin Guptill's release from the central contract, stating that he has added so much value to the group over the years. As quoted by Stuff, he said:
"He's made a decision to explore a few other options, but as a player and as an experienced member of the group, he's added so much value over the years and been one of our best white-ball players ever.
"Even in the T20 World Cup, without getting a playing opportunity, he was outstanding at offering help to all the players in the group. He's been fantastic in so many areas of the environment."
New Zealand Cricket has agreed to release @Martyguptill from his central contract so he can pursue playing opportunities elsewhere. nzc.nz/news-items/gup…
The 36-year-old is the second Kiwi player after Trent Boult to sacrifice his central contract.