IPL through the years

Kane Williamson, who is often referred to as a classical Test batsman, was first signed by an IPL franchise in 2015. The Sunrisers Hyderabad had him in their kitty for less than $100,000, and in the first season, he didn't return the dividends - particularly given the limited opportunities he had in an unfamiliar lower-middle order position. Williamson was a part of the side when the franchise coasted to their maiden title under the captaincy of David Warner in 2016, and was retained once again for the 2017 season (for $460,500), as the franchise showed trust in him and his ability to be the rock in the batting order around which the innings could be built. After the 2018 auction, however, David Warner was banned from the 2018 season of the IPL and was stripped from the captaincy, and the franchise handed Williamson the reins for the 2018 season. Against all odds, the Kiwi skipper exhibited a different dimension in his batting, hammering 735 runs at 52.50 and a strike-rate of 142.44. Moreover, he also led his side into the final, only to be defeated a second time by the Chennai Super Kings in the play-offs. With Warner out of contention for any leadership role, Williamson is likely to continue with the role in the 2019 season and certainly remains a vital cog in the batting order of the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

World Cup - Through the years

Kane Williamson has played 13 matches in the history of World Cup but he hasn't really clicked in those particular games. The top-order batsman has scored only one fifty in 13 innings and his average isn't that impressive too. However, one of his most memorable World Cup knocks came against Australia in the Pool A match of WC 2015. New Zealand were set a target of 152 by the Aussies and Mitchell Starc was breathing fire on that particular day. The left-arm pacer had claimed six wickets in the match and Australia were almost on the verge of defending a paltry total, but Kane Williamson came to rescue and hit a cracking six to take the Kiwis over the line. As a result of KW's knock of 45*, New Zealand pulled off a thriller by 1 wicket.

Williamson has not only grown as a player but also as a leader over the last few years - it's only been an upward climb for the talented player. Although his previous two World Cups haven't been great, there would be a lot of expectations of him this time around. With the likes of Guptill and Taylor in the team, Williamson has got experienced players by his side. His ability to perform under pressure makes him one of the vital cogs in the team and it would be interesting to see how New Zealand perform under his leadership during WC 2019. Also, it wouldn't be a surprise if Williamson ends up being New Zealand's highest run-getter in the tournament.