Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have a point to prove as they take on reigning champions Mumbai Indians in their upcoming VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 fixture. The encounter takes place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday (April 17). David Warner’s Orange army has made a dismal start to the season, losing their first two encounters. Both times it was SRH’s middle-order failure that led to the side’s downfall. While Jonny Bairstow scored an impressive fifty against RCB, Vijay Shankar and Jason Holder failed terribly in both outings. Manish Pandey was the only one to get runs in both games, but his defensive approach didn’t help SRH. Hence, the team management can look to get Kane Williamson in the scheme of things for the clash against MI.

The New Zealand captain had to warm benches in the first two games due to four overseas players' restrictions in the line-up. While skipper David Warner and Rashid Khan have been cornerstones of the side for the past few years, Jason Holder was picked due to lack of quality Indian all-rounders. Jonny Bairstow is the fourth overseas player for SRH in the first two games, and he’s most likely to make the way if Williamson plays.  IPL 2021 Points Table Updated.

Will Kane Williamson Play Against MI?

Although the Kiwi doesn’t hold the reputation of being a dasher, he’s a utility cricketer is this format of the game. Williamson can score runs at a decent pace, and his ability to adapt to any situation makes him a great asset. Williamson wasn’t SRH’s pick in the initial line-up last season as well. However, he eventually played after missing a few games and changed Hyderabad’s fortunes. The right-handed batsman scored 317 runs in 12 games at an average of over 45 and strike rate in excess of 130. As a result, SRH advanced to the playoffs and hence, keeping Williamson in benches wouldn’t be wise for the 2016 Champions.

As mentioned above, Bairstow, batting at number four, scored a brilliant half-century against KKR. Unfortunately, he’s the only one likely to face the axe if Williamson gets in. Hence, if the Blackcaps star is ready and match-fit, he should play against the five-time champions in SRH’s forthcoming fixture.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 16, 2021 12:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).