Understated both in persona and with the bat, as opposed to the IPL’s glitz, glamour and loudness, Williamson is a quiet and cool leader in the most demanding T20 league. He brings an old-world charm to the neo-richness of the game. You will not get towering sixes but his class speaks for itself, as was evident in the 2018 season, when he captained the SunRisers Hyderabad to the playoffs, scoring a whopping 735 runs in the process. Above all, Williamson brings to the IPL his growing stature as one of the finest ambassadors of the game.
SRH has consistently made it to the playoffs of the IPL in recent years; they won the title in 2016. The captaincy mantle has been returned to David Warner. But Williamson, Warner and Jonny Bairstow will be expected to shoulder most of the run-scoring responsibilities this year in the UAE. With the change in the SRH coaching staff, it remains to be seen how World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss will use the Kiwi for maximum impact.
In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Williamson opens up about being in the bio-bubble, his thoughts on SRH’s preparations and also the ill-fated 2019 ICC World Cup final. Lastly, the statesman in him makes it clear that he, for one, is not a supporter of ‘Mankading’. Excerpts:
Q/ How is the experience of being in the IPL bio-bubble, cut off from the outside world?
A/ It is pretty unusual for all cricketers and [it is my] first experience of the bio-bubble. Sports around the world are doing something similar. It is also great that the tournament can go ahead. It is definitely nice to get out after six days of quarantine to catch up with the team and have some social interaction.
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Denne historien er fra September 27, 2020-utgaven av THE WEEK.
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