Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) head coach Trevor Bayliss has revealed the reason why Kane Williamson did not play in their Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) opener against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday (April 11), saying the New Zealander needs more time to gain match fitness.
Williamson, who had scored 317 runs in 11 innings for SRH in the IPL 2020 in the UAE, came into the IPL 2021 off the back of an elbow injury that ruled him out of New Zealand’s ODI series against Bangladesh at home.
And the franchise felt they should give the latter some time at the nets before including him in the playing XI in the ongoing tournament.
Bayliss further insisted that Williamson would have definitely played in place of Jonny Bairstow against KKR if the New Zealand captain had been fit, but they “weren't too perturbed” about playing Englishman at his place as he had a brilliant white-ball series in India recently.
Bairstow, who scored 345 runs in the previous season, scored 55 runs off 40 balls in the SRH’s 10-run loss to KKR in their IPL 14 opener on Sunday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Bayliss said in the post-match press conference after the match: “We just felt that Kane needed a little bit of extra time to get match fit and a little bit more time in the nets.”
The coach further added, “He would have played in place of Jonny Bairstow obviously if that had occurred. But we aren't too perturbed about that; Jonny has been in form recently in white-ball cricket here in India. Kane will obviously come into calculations as the tournament unfolds.”
Wriddhiman Saha made an instant impact as an opener last year when SRH rested Bairstow to include Jason Holder in the playing XI and they eventually found the right balance after a mid-tournament slump, but on Sunday he fell cheaply for just 7 against KKR.
Reacting to the same, Bayliss said: “At the moment what we wanted to do is reward the guys who finished the tournament last year. We got off to a slow start in the last tournament but came back well to reach the finals (lost to Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2). Someone like Saha opening and batting so well in that tournament we felt we should reward the guys who finished it so well for us last year.”
However, the SRH had made it clear that Bairstow, who plays at No. 4 in T20Is and opens in ODIs for England, remains one of the options for the opening slot for the franchise in the ongoing IPL 14.
The 58-year-old Aussie added, “Depending on fitness and form, we know Jonny can open the batting and keep as well. It gives us options but yes he has done well for England at number 4 recently.”
On the decision to promote Vijay Shankar ahead of Abdul Samad against KKR, Bayliss said: “Vijay, in our practice matches that we had a few days ago, was our best player. He struck the ball beautifully and made 95 in one of the games, hit a lot of the balls a long way over the fence.
It's always difficult in those situations whenever you go in you have to go pretty much from the first ball you face.”
He signed off, “Samad in a short space of time last IPL and this one has shown that he has a lot of talent and is a clean striker of the ball. I think as he gets more experience, he will get more opportunities.”
Noteworthy, SRH will next face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2021 at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday (April 14).
(With PTI Inputs)
