Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain in the recent World Twenty20 and a key member of Sunrisers Hyderabad, believes that his team has the perfect blend of experience and exciting talent to be a strong contender to win the Indian Premier League this season.
“The biggest challenge for any cricketer who figured in the recent T20 World Cup will be to identify the style of cricket he should play and do that consistently over the next few weeks,” the Kiwi star batsman said in an exclusive interview with The Hindu on Saturday.
“Yes, spin was a major factor in the recent T20 World Cup and the slow bowlers can play a major role in the IPL too though one is not sure what kind of pitches are prepared at different venues,” Williamson said.
“Sunrisers’ strength is their all-round depth in batting, bowling and fielding too. We have a perfect blend of experience and exciting talent. To have so many internationals who were part of the recent World Cup is a terrific sight. They bring in so much of experience and class with them and this coupled with the highly talented domestic pool of players should make SRH a force to reckon with,” he explained.
Yuvraj’s absenceReferring to Yuvraj Singh’s absence for the next two weeks because of an injury, Williamson admitted it would be a big loss to the team given his stature and amazing ability. “No doubt, he is a big player. But, again, we have to focus on the possible eleven and look ahead as these are issues which are beyond our control,” he said.
“It is a great experience to share your thoughts on the game with such a class player like VVS (team mentor Laxman) and head coach Tom Moody.
“I enjoyed this last season and am looking forward to a similar experience this time around too,” said Williamson, who can also bowl off-spin.
“It is going to help us definitely to have all seven games at one place (Hyderabad) for we can know the playing conditions better, prepare and evolve strategies accordingly,” the New Zealand captain said.
“Realistically, we do believe that we can win the title this season.
“We are aware of the areas of our strengths and the key areas where we need to focus more this time and the best part is that the team spirit is really high,” Williamson said.
Reflecting on leading New Zealand to the semifinals in the World Cup, the Kiwi star said his team had a great tournament despite it being a really tough one. “We lost in the semifinal to England in the space of a couple of overs. Otherwise, I must say that our players adapted to the conditions really well and put up a great show. And, credit should be given to England for playing better on the given day,” he said.
Williamson also said that 23-year-old leg-spinner Ish Sodhi was a huge talent. “He has already shown what he is capable of and has had a fantastic World Cup under testing conditions which is never easy. He is an extremely talented spinner who can be the match-winner for New Zealand in the days to come,” Williamson signed off.
