Williamson welcomes IPL return in UAE

Sunrisers batsman anticipant

New Zealand's Kane Williamson

New Zealand captain and Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Kane Williamson is looking forward to playing this year's edition of the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates.

The tournament was scheduled to be played in India earlier this year. It was postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic – and will be relocated to the UAE later this year.

This won't be the first time the IPL has been played in the UAE. The first leg of the 2014 tournament was hosted by Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

“Considering what it actually looks like where it is and all the details that come with it, to play in the IPL is always an amazing thing so, absolutely, it will be great to play in it and be a part of it,” said Williamson.

“But there's a lot of details to come through before any final decisions will be made. It will be nice to know more.”

T20 World Cup Postponed

Earlier this week, the 2020 T20 World Cup was postponed to next year. This year's IPL will effectively replace the T20 World Cup in the international cricket calendar.

“There's nothing concrete, with the postponement of the T20 World Cup announced only a day or two ago, no doubt there's a lot of organising that needs to be done or any sort of decision is made, and I guess they are wanting to make sure that things are planned before speaking to players with any certainty,” added Williamson.

“Like a lot of things, even with the season ahead, there's a lot of speculation and hope for a lot of cricket, much like there's hope for the IPL to go ahead. But at this point in time it's sort of coming back after a break, easing back into cricket and hope that these things will happen.”

Williamson's IPL record with Hyderabad

The 29-year-old Williamson previously captained the Hyderabad franchise. Australian David Warner, though, has since been reappointed captain.

Williamson is the Sunrisers' third-highest run-scorer in the history of the IPL, behind Warner and Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan. The New Zealand right-hander has collected 1302 runs in 41 innings.

The Sunrisers won the IPL in 2016. The Mumbai Indians are the reigning champions, after beating the Chennai Super Kings in the 2019 final.

New title

Jonhenry dedicates his global gaming knowledge to the iGaming industry. He produces content about cricket, in addition to playing and training.