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regular-article-logo Wednesday, 24 April 2024

IPL 2021: Kane Williamson to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad, Warner’s position shaky

The move to take the captaincy away from David was certainly surprising, but he was never quite at his best right from their opening game

Our Bureau Calcutta Published 02.05.21, 02:26 AM
David Warner during SRH’s match against Chennai on Wednesday.

David Warner during SRH’s match against Chennai on Wednesday. PTI photo

Placed rock bottom after five losses from six games so far, the Sunrisers Hyderabad are banking on Kane Williamson for a reversal of fortunes, having taken a drastic step by removing David Warner from the captain’s post.

Will the Williamson-led Sunrisers now be able to turn it around, starting from the game versus Rajasthan Royals on Sunday at the Kotla? That remains to be seen.

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The move to take the captaincy away from Warner was certainly surprising, but he was never quite at his best right from their opening game. The 57 he got in their previous game versus Chennai Super Kings was also one reason behind the Sunrisers’ defeat as his innings never gained momentum, something he himself too had admitted.

What’s interesting to see now is whether Warner would be able to keep his place in the XI, as the statement from the Sunrisers also said “the team management has also made the decision that they will be changing their overseas combination” for Sunday’s game.

It won’t be too surprising if Warner is dropped, as in that case all-rounder Jason Holder looks to be the top pick as the fourth overseas player with Jonny Bairstow and Rashid Khan most likely to be automatic choices alongside new captain Williamson.

The not-so-high quality of Indian talent has also been a bane for the Sunrisers. In their bowling department, they are missing the services of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, which is creating extra pressure on Rashid.

Talking of the Royals, they have been inconsistent. If their batsmen do well in one game, their bowlers fail to deliver. Jos Buttler, captain Sanju Samson and David Miller need to make sure they come up with sizeable contributions. Chris Morris has been trying his best to do his job with the ball as he hasn’t got too many opportunites to prove his batting abilities.

But along with him, Rahul Tewatia needs to fire. It’s time he does.

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