The very first player to have his name called out at the recently concluded IPL 2023 Auction, which took place in Kochi on December 23, is New Zealand’s white-ball skipper Kane Williamson. Here are three reasons why he is a great deal for the Gujarat Titans.
The Gujarat Titans (GT) purchased Williamson for his base salary of 2 crores. There was no immediate response when his name was announced. The defending champions, Gujarat, made the decision to enter the fray after a brief silence, purchasing his services with their sole bid.
The 32-year-old captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was unexpectedly let go before the November announcement of the retention list.
However, fans will always be interested in Williamson’s future, given his extensive experience and ability to bat. The franchise based in Gujarat may have made a very good decision by purchasing him at his starting price.
At GT’s IPL mini-auction, Kane Williamson is a steal for the following three reasons:
#1 Solves the No. 3 conundrum for GT
No. 3 conundrum for GT Gujarat struggled with the number three slot despite their successful campaign last year. The establishment attempted a few players, including Matthew Swim, Sai Sudharshan, and Vijay Shankar at No.3. However, none of them were able to rise to the top of the list.
The Kiwi international will provide experience at the No. 1 position with the addition of Kane Williamson. 3 slot. Williamson bats at No. 1 for New Zealand on a regular basis, and that was his best IPL season with his previous team, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). 3 likewise.
He won the Orange cap in the IPL 2018 despite being one down by scoring 735 runs in 17 innings at an average of 52.5 and a strike rate above 142.
#2 Kane Williamson will be a good value for money
GT made a smart move by buying him for his base price of 2 crores in an auction where the top four of the six most expensive buys ever were made.
Williamson is one of the most technically advanced players in the world, and his strike rate has been a topic of conversation recently.
However, overall, his T20 numbers are excellent to read, as he scored as many as 6304 runs at an average of over 31 and a strike rate of nearly 123 across 236 innings.
It’s possible that buying him for just a few crores is the best deal at this year’s auction.
#3 Adds significant value to the leadership team
In his inaugural IPL season, Hardik Pandya led GT to a remarkable IPL victory earlier this year, exceeding all expectations.
Pandya, together with head coach Ashish Nehra and other coaching staff members like Gary Kirsten and Vikram Solanki, made the team feel calm and proved to be a powerful leader for Gujarat.
The extensive knowledge and power of GT’s think tank are further enhanced by Williamson’s inclusion in the leadership group. Considering that he has captained New Zealand and SRH for a long time, Kane Williamson’s bits of feedback will surely be important for his new establishment.