'IPL is certainly...': Kane Williamson's first reaction after being released by SRH is nothing short of extraordinary
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has reacted after being released by former champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on the deadline day. Williamson was released by SRH ahead of the IPL 2023 auction.
Former champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) dropped a captaincy bombshell by releasing New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson ahead of the upcoming mini-auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2023 on Tuesday. One of the finest batters across all formats of the game, Williamson was shown the exit door by the Hyderabad-based franchise after a disastrous season with Orange Army at IPL 2022.
Under Williamson's leadership, SRH failed to enter the playoff stage of the IPL 2022 as the 2016 champions finished 8th on the points table. Williamson has left the Hyderabad-based franchise after spending 8 seasons with SRH in the cash-rich league. Averaging 36.22, the former SRH skipper smashed 2101 runs in the cash-rich league for the Hyderabad giants. Interestingly, the talismanic batter of the Black Caps wasn't surprised by Sunrisers' decision on the deadline day.
Speaking ahead of New Zealand’s meeting with India in the 1st T20I, Williamson expressed his desire to feature in the 2023 edition of the IPL. "No, not really," Williamson responded after he was quizzed about reconsidering his T20 future following his departure from Hyderabad. "There are a lot of competitions around the world, and the IPL is certainly an amazing completion to be a part of. You see players play for different teams all the time. There are a lot of options, lot of cricket, so for me, I love playing all formats," he was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
The former Hyderabad skipper also revealed that the SRH management reached out to him a ‘few days’ before making the mega announcement on the deadline day. "That's the way it goes, I had a really enjoyable time at SRH, I have a lot of fond memories," Williamson said. "It wasn't a surprise when it [retention list] was officially released," he added. The 32-year-old has played 76 matches in the cash-rich league. Williamson made his IPL debut against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in 2015.
