Kane Williamson will assume the leadership role of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) from David Warner for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, as the franchise announced on its social channels on 1 May.
The decision came after SRH’s 7-wicket defeat to table-toppers Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their latest encounter. Warner was frustrated throughout his stay before walking off to the pavilion, scoring 57 runs in 55 balls. Later, in the post-match conference, he took full responsibility for his team’s result.
Warner’s strike rate has come under scrutiny in IPL 2021. He has been striking at 110 this year, a stark dip from his all-time IPL strike rate of 140. A superstar of the tournament, he is the leading run-scorer (5,447 runs in 148 games) by an overseas player. He won the Orange Cap in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
As captain and batter, Warner played a pivotal role in SRH’s only title-winning campaign in 2016. He scored 848 runs in 17 games, striking at 151.
In 2018, Williamson, too, led SRH from the front in Warner’s absence. With 735 runs at 141, he won the Orange Cap that season. However, he failed to bring the glory back in their tent in the summit clash against CSK.
SRH is currently languishing at the bottom of the points table with just one win in six matches. They will lock horns with Rajasthan Royals (RR) tomorrow (2 May) in Match 28 of the IPL 2021 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.