IPL 2023: Williamson relishes fresh challenge under Hardik’s captaincy in ‘special’ Ahmedabad return

Williamson, the former New Zealand Test skipper, admitted that not leading a side in the IPL ‘has taken a bit off my plate’ as captaincy is an energy-intensive role.

Williamson will return to Ahmedabad where he scored a hundred on his Test debut in 2010 and hope for a similar beginning to a new chapter in his IPL journey with Gujarat Titans. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

After leading Sunrisers Hyderabad for a number of seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kane Williamson is eagerly looking forward to playing under Hardik Pandya at Gujarat Titans ahead of the 2023 edition.

“Captaincy is a position I have been involved in for a number of years in different teams. But it’s not something that I have to have. Any side you are on, you want to do as much as you can for the team. Whether you have an official leadership role or not doesn’t really matter. It’s nice to mix it up. I’m excited to be playing under Hardik as I have been playing under Tim Southee in the Test format,” Williamson said on Wednesday.

The former New Zealand Test skipper admitted that not leading a side in the IPL ‘has taken a bit off my plate’ as captaincy is an energy-intensive role.

“It (not being captain) certainly doesn’t switch the cricketing brain off absolutely because when you are out there on the field, you try and assist where you can, if you are called upon for your ideas. Having said that, it has taken a bit off my plate which was a large part of the reason for making the decision back home. I have always thought that it wasn’t a forever job and requires a lot of energy,” he added.

Williamson had a forgettable IPL 2022, where he struck at just 93.51 and scored a solitary fifty in 13 innings while opening the batting as Sunrisers Hyderabad finished eighth in a 10-team table. With Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha set to open for Gujarat, Williamson is likely to take up the No. 3 slot but the Kiwi is ready to bat ‘wherever they (team management) see the best fit’.

Gill has had a phenomenal year so far, smashing five centuries across formats in less than three months and Williamson considers the stylish right-hander a ‘big player’ for the Titans and sees captaincy potential in him for the Indian team.

“He has had an incredible year and you could always see that it was only a matter of time... A very special player. A big player for our team and it’s great to be in his side. I have played against Shubman for a few years and you could see the quality that he has. He’s a really strong competitor. He’ll be learning a lot from a number of leaders he has been able to play under for a few years. He seems like a fantastic guy and has a great understanding of the game. Naturally, there might be leadership positions that come his way,” Williamson said.

Williamson is coming off a sensational double-hundred in the second Test against Sri Lanka in New Zealand and believes that making quick adjustments and adapting to the shortest format will be a challenge. With a nagging elbow injury, which has plagued him over the past three years, ‘a lot better now’, Williamson will hope to make the most of this season after being bought at a base price of Rs. 2 crore at the auction.

“Bouncing between formats and making adjustments as quickly as possible is a challenge in international games. We played a large volume of Test cricket recently and coming here, it’s about getting stuck into the preparation, the T20 format, the role and preparing as well as you can. It’s about recalling those reminders about your game that’s important.

“It (elbow injury) was something that was improving slowly all the time. It required management and it is a lot better now. It’s not something that’s stopping me in terms of training loads and playing. Although no injury is ideal and often injuries require time to heal and work through and for me, it was no different. But it’s nice to be playing and training and not be burdened by it.”

While Williamson will lead New Zealand in the ODI World Cup in India later this year, he believes the overseas players will focus on performing for their franchises rather than preparing for the quadrennial event.

“I don’t think that (ODI World Cup) will be their (overseas players) first thought. All teams play a lot of cricket in India. Most players will be motivated by the teams they are in and try and do whatever they can before turning an eye to the World Cup, which is still a number of months away.”

The 32-year-old will return to the venue where he scored a hundred on his Test debut in 2010 and hope for a similar beginning to a new chapter in his IPL journey when the defending champion locks horns with Chennai Super Kings in the tournament opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.

“I have fond memories of Ahmedabad. A lot has changed, particularly the ground, certainly a lot bigger than it used to be. It’s a special memory, recalling your first Test match. Great to be back in a slightly different light, format and side,” Williamson reminisced.