IPL 2022: 'He is a professional cricketer' - RP Singh wants SRH to drop Kane Williamson from Playing XI

Former India seamer RP Singh feels that Sunrisers Hyderabad can consider dropping skipper Kane Williamson from their playing XI ahead of their must win IPL 2022 clash against the Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.

By CX Staff Writer May 17, 2022, 14:13 IST

IPL 2021: Kane Williamson shows remarkable flexibility in T20 batting masterclass?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

Williamson hasn’t had the best of seasons with the bat, having aggregated 208 runs from 12 games at below run-a-ball.

After back-to-back defeats at the start of IPL 2022, Sunrisers Hyderabad bounced back strongly to win five on the trot, before a succession of four defeats followed. Their playoffs qualification hopes now hang by a thread, with two must-win games remaining against the Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings respectively. They’ll also hope for other results to go their way to have any chance of securing a place in the final four.

At the forefront of their struggles has been skipper Kane Williamson’s dry run. Opening alongside Abhishek Sharma, Williamson has managed just 208 runs from 12 innings with six single digit scores including a diamond duck. A low strike-rate of 92.86 has raised questions over the persistence with the opening combination, more so, given Rahul Tripathi’s current form.

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RP Singh feels that Williamson needs to understand that the results aren’t coming through, and that he can be left out of the playing XI.

"It's a good thought (to have Williamson as a floater) but another thought is that he can be kept out of the XI too,” RP Singh said in an interaction with Cricbuzz. “How long are you going to carry him? He is a professional cricketer as well. Just accept that performances aren't happening."

Kane Williamson in the PP in #IPL2022

Runs 101
Balls 127
Avg 16.83
SR 79.53

Rahul Tripathi in the PP in #IPL2022

Runs 101
Balls 70
Avg 33.67
SR 144.29

SRH should consider opening with Tripathi and having Williamson anchor the innings from number 3.#KKRvsSRH pic.twitter.com/5OHnpOHELs
— Stat Doctor🩺 (@stat_doctor) May 14, 2022

Singh, the 2009 IPL Purple Cap winner in Deccan Chargers’ winning campaign, further stressed on changing the opening combination.

"Although Kane Williamson is a great human being and a good captain, they are messing up with one batting position,” he said. “You just need to stop being adamant and let Rahul Tripathi open with Abhishek Sharma."

Currently placed eighth in the points table, SRH will play MI at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, before taking on PBKS in the season’s final league game at the same venue on Sunday.