IPL 2022: Kane Williamson leaves bio-bubble; to miss remaining matches
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Kane Williamson has left the bio-bubble post the win over Mumbai Indians on Wednesday in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season. The Kiwi cricketer will fly back to New Zealand to attend the birth of his second child. Williamson will miss his side's final league fixture against Punjab Kings on May 22. Here's more.
Williamson to travel back to New Zealand
Why does this story matter?
In Williamson's absence, one could expect Nicholas Pooran to fill in as the skipper for the last league game against PBKS on May 22. Pooran has experience at the international level, having captained in eight T20Is. While the Caribbean is the best fit for the job, the likes of Aiden Markram and Bhuvneshwar Kumar could be considered as well.
Sunrisers clinch a narrow win over Mumbai Indians
SRH were off to a flier after MI elected to field. Although they lost Abhishek Sharma early, Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi, and Nicholas Pooran kept them afloat. MI seamers kept the Orange Army at bay in death overs, thereby restricting the Orange Army to 193/6. Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma shared a 95-run stand but fell short of the target by three runs (190/7).
Williamson had a sorry run in IPL 2022
Williamson looked out of sorts throughout the season. He mustered 216 runs from 13 innings while averaging a deplorable 19.64 (SR 93.51). He clocked just one fifty in the tournament (57 vs GT). His scores in the last five matches read: 47(37), 4(11), 0(0), 9(17), and lastly 8*(7). He demoted himself to number six in the last outing against MI.
Can SRH wind up with a playoff berth?
SRH had a peculiar run in IPL 2022. They lost their first two matches but stitched a five-match win streak. SRH then lost five games in succession. Lately, they clinched a close win over MI to pocket 12 points in total (NRR of -0.230). They need a huge win over PBKS and hope that KKR, RCB, and DC are leveled at seven wins each.
