Chennai Super Kings may raise the paddle for Kane Williamson in the IPL Auction, here’s why

They have 7 slots to fill in the auction and one of them can be the New Zealand stalwart, Kane Williamson.

Kane Williamson was released by his former team Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of this auction.

Kane Williamson, who stepped down as New Zealand test captain recently, will be hoping to get a new home in the upcoming edition of IPL. The Kiwi batter is one of the paramount batters in the longest format of the game, but has been around in the shorter format as well.

He has been one of the most proficient players in the T20 format, scoring 2464 runs for the Blackcaps with an average of 33 and strike rate over 125.

Kane Williamson in IPL:

Kane Williamson has represented Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He was part of the Orange Army for the last eight years. He has amassed 2101 runs in the IPL, with an average of 36 and a strike rate over 125. The New Zealand batter has honed at the top of the order for the Sunrisers, winning the tournament with them in 2016. He had a poor IPL in 2022, scoring just 216 runs in 13 matches.

The poor outing led to the release of Williamson from the Sunrisers as he seeks pastures new in the auction.

Chennai Super Kings, one of the most successful franchises in IPL history, can bring the player to their side. And here are the three reasons why CSK may eye to acquire the Kiwi in the auction table-

Dependable at the top of the order:

Kane Williamson is one of the best technical players in the game. Although he is not a swashbuckler, the class he possesses is paramount across conditions and formats. Williamson can be a man who can anchor the innings for CSK, becoming a perfect foil for the more aggressive Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top of the order. The former NZ test captain has the ability to play according to the situation, which can be a major boost for the Super Kings.

A future captain prospect, much like Dhoni:

Perhaps this is the biggest incentive for CSK to invest in Williamson. The 32-year-old has ample leadership experience with New Zealand on the international stage, and he has led Sunrisers in the IPL as well. Williamson led New Zealand to the 2019 ICC World Cup and 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. He also won the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad back in 2016. Williamson can be a perfect replacement for MS Dhoni, who may well hang his gloves at the end of the upcoming IPL. This will be the perfect warming period for Williamson, to mould himself ahead of the more onerous duties. Chennai Super Kings will be tentatively excited regarding life after Dhoni, but their transition will be comparatively smoother with someone like Williamson at the helm.

Williamson suits the CSK style:

Another reason for CSK to vie for Kane is the similarity of his style to their vision. CSK have ridden their journey with MS Dhoni since their inception. Dhoni’s calm demeanour, ice-cool mentality are indispensable tangents to their success story. And Williamson is quite alike the former Indian captain. He is calm and composed, never loses himself in the field and is a caring motivator. Under his leadership, the new generation of CSK can thrive and fulfil their potential. The CSK mentality also matches with the Kiwi batter as they have lately opted with a more experienced squad. We have seen the likes of Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayudu thrive for them at their beyond-prime periods. And Williamson can be a success story as well.