“They need a leader”: Hanuma Vihari believes CSK could buy Kane Williamson in IPL 2023 auction as MS Dhoni captaincy replacement post his retirement

Sunrisers Hyderabad releasing captain Kane Williamson ahead of a mini-auction for the 16th season of the Indian Premier League has invited mixed reactions from cricket experts and fans.

With Punjab Kings naming Shikhar Dhawan as captain days before releasing Mayank Agarwal yesterday, Williamson became the only sitting captain to be released by an IPL franchise before IPL 2023 auction.

With Williamson scoring 598 runs in 25 T20 innings at a strike rate of 108.33 this year, SRH parting ways with him after finishing at the eighth position for the second time in a row is quite understandable from their point of view. Having said that, critics of this move are finding faults due to the overall damage that sticking with Williamson for just one season has done at Hyderabad.

The quest to retain Williamson before IPL 2022 mega auction hadn’t just come at a price tag of INR 14 crore but at an opportunity cost involving letting go of former captain David Warner and ace spinner Rashid Khan. According to the critics, Sunrisers could have stuck longer with Williamson than giving him just one season as a nominated captain.

Hanuma Vihari believes CSK could buy Kane Williamson in IPL 2023 auction

Set to enter the auction with an eye on the remaining 87 slots, Williamson would be hoping for his reputation to overpower his recent form. With all his eight IPL seasons coming for one team, it will be the first instance of Williamson plying his trade for any other team than SRH in the IPL (assuming he finds a buyer and that SRH don’t buy him again).

India batter Hanuma Vihari believes Chennai Super Kings could be interested in making use of Williamson’s offerings. Vihari, who hasn’t played in the IPL since 2019, considers Williamson to be an apt replacement for CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (whenever he retires) and someone who can nail the anchor role at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

“One team that comes to mind is CSK because once MS, you know you never know if and when he retires, they [will] need a leader. I think he [Kane Williamson] is someone who fits the team perfectly. On a Chepauk wicket, I think he can anchor the innings and take the team through,” Vihari said in a video posted by Jio Cinema across their social media handles on Tuesday.

Vihari, however, also didn’t rule out the possibility of Hyderabad buying Williamson again at a cheaper price.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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