Can Kane Williamson Replace Gautam Gambhir As Kolkata Knight Riders' Skipper

One of the biggest priorities for Kolkata Knight Riders in the upcoming auction will be to rope in a player who can also lead the side – Kane Williamson for example. The two-time Indian Premier League champions sprung a huge surprise when they did not retain their most successful skipper Gautam Gambhir.

After three poor seasons, the Kolkata-based franchise signed Gambhir in 2011 for a whopping amount of $2.4 million, and it turned out to be one of the best signings in the history of the league. Under Gambhir’s captaincy, the  Knight Riders qualified for the IPL playoffs and also made it to the Champions League Twenty20 for the first time in 2011.

He eventually led the side to their first title in 2012 by beating defending champions Chennai Super Kings. Two years later, he led the team to their second title, making the Knight Riders one of the most successful teams in the leagues. Even in the last season, he led the side to a third-place finish in the league. Moreover, Gambhir was also the batting mainstay of the side since joining the side. In the seven seasons, he scored 3,035 runs with the help of 27 half-centuries.

However, the franchise surprisingly decided not to retain him. Instead, they retained West Indies duo, Andre Russell, and Sunil Narine. The franchise will have a chance to buy Gambhir in the auction through the Right to Match card, but it looks unlikely.

In such a case, one player who can fill the huge void left by Gambhir is New Zealand star, Kane Williamson. The Kiwi skipper is not the biggest hitters of the cricket ball and is not one of the most sought-after players for the slam-bang format of the game, but there is no denying that Williamson is the kind of player every team craves to have on its side.

One of the best batsman in the world at the moment, Williamson has an impressive record in the format. He averages almost 35 in T20Is and also has ample experience of playing in IPL. Last year, he averaged 42 and had a strike rate more than 150 with two fifties to his name while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad.  Moreover, his ability to play spin well also augurs well with the Knight Riders who have traditionally thrived on spinning tracks.

As a skipper too, Williamson has an impressive record. New Zealand are currently sitting atop of ICC rankings and he can be an ideal candidate to replace Gambhir for the Knight Riders.