'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Kane Williamson was one of the top performers for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2020. However, the New Zealand skipper has missed out on his team's second consecutive match in IPL 2021.
Media reports suggest that Kane Williamson is yet to recover from a strain he sustained in his left elbow in March this year. He sat out New Zealand's ODI series against Bangladesh and has been on rest thereafter.
Sunrisers Hyderabad started their IPL 2021 on an unimpressive note, losing to Kolkata Knight Riders by 10 runs. Kane Williamson was conspicuous by his absence in that game as well, and England's Jonny Bairstow played in the middle-order in his place.
Post the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Trevor Bayliss revealed that although Kane Williamson was above Bairstow in the pecking order, the former needed more rest and time to get up to speed.
“We just felt that Kane needed a little bit of extra time to get match fit and a little bit more time in the nets. He would have played in place of Jonny Bairstow obviously if that had occurred. But we aren’t too perturbed about that, Jonny has been in form recently in white-ball cricket here in India. Kane will obviously come into calculations as the tournament unfolds,” said Bayliss.
Despite not being first choice, Bairstow notched a gutsy half-century (55 off 40 balls) in the game, thus accentuating the management's selection headache.
Kane Williamson's record in the IPL
Kane Williamson has enjoyed a stellar record in the IPL. Last year, the 30-year-old collected 317 runs from 12 games at a brilliant average of 45.29 and a strike rate of 133.76.
His consistent knocks in the middle-order played a crucial role in the team's fourth-place finish.
Overall in the tournament, Kane Williamson has scored 1619 at an average of 39.49. Sunrisers Hyderabad will hope that the dynamic batsman recovers from the strain when they take on defending champions Mumbai Indians on April 17.
