Kane Williamson is the only player this IPL season to score more than 700 runs. (Source: IPL)
Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson becomes the fifth player to score more than 700 runs in an Indian Premier League season and the only one this season to do so. Playing against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2018 final, Williamson and Shikhar Dhawan combined to look solid on a sluggish Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
With the feat, Williamson, who departed after scoring 47(36) in the final, joins Virat Kohli with 848 runs in 2016, David Warner with 733 runs in 2016, Chris Gayle with 733 runs in 2012 and 705* runs in 2013 and Mike Hussey with 708 runs in 2013 in the list of players to score more than 700 runs in a season of IPL.
Called in to fill in the massive boots of David Warner, who was banned from playing IPL this season due to ball-tampering allegations, Williamson is now the front-runner for Orange cap.
Even though Williamson was the second-choice captain for the side, he has contributed massively to SRH’s journey to final. “The captaincy came fairly suddenly,” said Williamson. “It’s been an enjoyable experience. I think as a franchise being involved for a few years and the team has changed quite a lot it some ways with 14 new players. Exciting to learn something about myself and the guys in the team- different cultures, different parts of the world with Tom and the management. Davy (David Warner) is a big part of the franchise as a player and as a leader. He’s contributed so much in the last few years and obviously as events unfolded, things changed pretty quickly. But as a team, we gelled pretty quickly together to try and start operating well as a unit.”
SRH play against MS Dhoni-led CSK in the final of IPL 2018 in hope of their second title. Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first against the 2016-winners.