IPL 2022: Kane Williamson to be retained by SunRisers Hyderabad? David Warner gives hint

The IPL 2022 mega auction is likely to be held in January. Meanwhile, is SunRisers Hyderabad looking at retaining Kane Williamson? Here's what David Warner has hinted.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will see a new era. With the competition expanding to ten teams, the mega auction will see an intense battle of the sides roping in some of the top players in world cricket. Also, former champion SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) would continue to remain a part of the luxurious Twenty20 (T20) league.

However, SRH is currently facing a dilemma as to which players it should retain. The IPL Governing Council has allowed each of the existing franchises to retain a maximum of four players. As far as SRH is concerned, it is likely to let go of former skipper and opener David Warner, who endured an uneventful IPL 2021.

Warner scored just 195 runs in eight innings at a narrow average of 24.37 and a strike rate of 107.73, including twin half-centuries. However, his inconsistency led to him losing the captaincy to Kane Williamson, while he was also dropped from the playing XI. At a point, he was not even allowed to join the side at the venue, as he stayed back at the team hotel, while during the closing stages of the tournament, he was sent to the hospitality box, where he waved the flag for the side.

Ahead of the mega auction, he had confirmed that he would be entering the auction pool next year, meaning that SRH would not be retaining him. He fared well for Australia in the just-concluded ICC T20 World Cup, finishing as the side's highest run-scorer and helping it win its maiden title. However, it is still unlikely that SRH would retain him, given the tense situation between the two parties in IPL 2021.

In the meantime, as far as SRH's retention is concerned, Williamson is likely to be retained. Despite the side finishing at the bottom of the table, winning just three of its 14 games, the New Zealand skipper has managed to retain the faith of his franchise. An indication of the same was given by Warner on Instagram when he replied to a user, noting, "Make sure you keep supporting as my friend Kane will still be there, please."

As per our analysis, Williamson seems to be a no-brainer retention for SRH, considering his excellent leadership calibre, while the franchise would build a formidable squad around him. Besides Williamson, Afghan spinner Rashid Khan seems to be another superb retention option.