New Zealand batter Kane Williamson, who was recruited by the Gujarat Titans (GT) for the IPL 2023, has said that he is excited to play under the captaincy of ‘world-class’ Hardik Pandya. GT will face off against CSK in the tournament opener on March 31 in Ahmedabad.
Williamson, who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad for the last eight years, was released by the franchise ahead of the 2023 season and was roped in by Gujarat Titans for his base price of INR 2 crore.
Speaking in the pre-season press conference, Williamson said: “I had a wonderful time at Sunrises for a number of years. And as we see throughout the years, there’s always movement with players and I’m really excited to be involved here at the Titans and meet the team.”
He also spoke about playing under Hardik Pandya’s leadership: “I’ve played against Hardik for a number of years. He is a world-class player. I played against him last year, he had an incredible season as a leader and as a player. So really excited to be playing under Hardik and great energy.”
The IPL 2023 will have a few new rules coming in with the captains being able to name their final playing XI after the toss and the impact player rule.
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Williamson said that the new rule will be used to their advantage by all teams, so it will be fascinating to see how it plays out.
“I think, when you’re picking teams, you’re always sort of weighing up one role or another. And yet, you kind of shape your side a certain way that naturally having the ability to bring in an impact player kind of changes that a little bit. I guess it’s all pretty new ground for everybody. I mean, it’s a rule there that all teams are going to try and use it to their advantage to the best of their ability. So it will be pretty interesting to see how it goes,” he added.
Williamson was also praiseful of India and GT opener Shubman Gill’s batting form.
He said: “You could see the quality that he has. I’m sure it’d be learning a lot from a number of leaders that he’s been able to play under for a few years. And, you know, seems like a fantastic guy, and he has a really great understanding of the game. So, you know, I suppose naturally, there might be leadership positions that might come this way. But we’ll have to see.”
“To have those experiences that you need as a young, extremely talented player and really put it together on the international stage and endorsed obviously in the IPL as well like I say it was more of a matter of time and a very special place. He (Shubman Gill) is a big player for our team,” he added.
When quizzed if he wishes to lead an IPL team, he replied, “Leadership or captaincy is a position that I’ve been involved in over a number of years with different teams. It’s nice to mix it up as well. I did it for a long time. And I’m excited to be here and I’m playing under Hardik as I have been playing under Tim in the Test format in New Zealand. So yeah, I mean, I enjoy getting involved in and trying to help where I can. I guess we’ll see what happens in the future.”
He also had some advice for the debutants in IPL 2023, saying: “It’s a fantastic experience to be involved in it, to enjoy it and soak it up as much as you can. There’s fantastic opportunities to get alongside people that you haven’t met before and try to basically learn and that’s something that I’ve always enjoyed every year that I’ve been involved in here is that sort of opportunity. So a great chance to go out, play, express yourself and learn as well.”
(Indian Express inputs)
