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Williamson excited at the prospect of playing IPL in the UAE

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Kane Williamson (centre) said he was excited at the potential opportunity to see some cricket come on to the horizon.
Kane Williamson (centre) said he was excited at the potential opportunity to see some cricket come on to the horizon.

Dubai - The New Zealand batsman is a key player for the Sunrisers Hyderabad team

By James Jose

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Published: Wed 22 Jul 2020, 2:51 PM

Last updated: Thu 23 Jul 2020, 12:16 AM

The Indian players may be the cynosure of all eyes in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but the galaxy of international stars from other countries is what lends the popular franchise league a truly global flavour.
This season's tournament is slowly beginning to see the light of day amid the Covid-19 pandemic with the UAE all but confirmed as hosts, pending the Indian government's approval.
And New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was excited at the prospect of the league taking place but felt that more information was needed and the nitty-gritties needed to be ironed out.
"By all accounts the IPL, they're looking to host that tournament which is a fantastic tournament to be a part of and attracts such an incredible audience," Williamson, who represents the 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad, said on the sidelines New Zealand training session at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday.
The New Zealand men's and women's squads returned to training after a long break owing to the pandemic.

"Like I said, considering what it actually looks like where it is and all the details that come with it, to play in the IPL is always an amazing thing so, absolutely, it will be great to play in it and be a part of it. But there's a lot of details to come through before any final decisions will be made. It will be nice to know more," he added.
The 29-year-old, who captained the Sunrisers to a runners-up finish in 2018, was disappointed to see the T20 World Cup being postponed but said that the IPL has given cricketers a glimmer of hope of some action after being in lockdown because of the pandemic.
 "Throughout this time there's been a natural lack of content so there is a real drive to see that happen and see it happen safely, which is first and foremost. It's a shame to see the World Cup be postponed but I suppose it's the nature of what we're faced with in the current climate but exciting at the potential opportunity individually to see some cricket come on to the horizon. But I think a lot of people will be looking forward to that opportunity if at all it goes ahead safely," said Williamson, who led the Kiwis to a heartbreaking runners-up finish in the 50-over World Cup last year.
"They're looking at the best options to host it in a safe place where people can be quarantined much like you're seeing with other sports around the world. There's a lot of planning still to be done," he added.
james@khaleejtimes.com
 


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