Five Players who can replace Kane Williamson as captain of Hyderabad franchise in Indian T20 League 2023

The Indian T20 League mini-auction is all set to be held on December 23^rd in Kochi. Ahead of the auction, all ten franchises have released several underperforming players from their squad to replace them in the upcoming auction. The 2016 champions Hyderabad franchise have also released their captain Kane Williamson ahead of the auction. Williamson had a disappointing outing with the bat in the 2022 season as he could only manage 216 runs at an average of 19.63 and a strike rate of 93.50.

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After releasing Williamson, Hyderabad will be looking for his possible replacements as a captain for the upcoming edition. On that note, let’s take a look at five players who can replace Williamson as the captain:

1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Source: Twitter)

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been a part of the franchise since 2014. Bhuvneshwar has been one of the top performers of the franchise having won the coveted ‘Purple Cap’ twice in 2016 and 2017 for finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. Owing to his stupendous performance with the ball, he was made the vice-captain of the franchise in 2018. If there’s anyone who can fill in Williamson’s shoes as captain, it is Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

2 Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram (Source: Twitter)

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The South African opener had a brilliant season with the bat in 2022 scoring 381 runs at an average of 47.62 and a strike rate of 139.05. He also had three half-centuries to his name. Having led the South Africa team to a U-19 World Cup victory in 2014, Markram is more than capable of inspiring a team to a title victory. The 28-year-old can be a good replacement of Williamson at the helm.

3  Jason Holder

Jason Holder (Source: Twitter)

After being released by the Lucknow franchise, the other franchises are expected to bid for the West Indian all-rounder in the upcoming auction. The 31-year-old has vast experience of captaining his national side and has always led from the front. He has 49 wickets to his name in 38 matches he’s played in the Indian T20 League at an average of 24.02. As the mini-auction draws closer, the franchise can eye Holder to fill in the captain’s place.

4 Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch (Source: Twitter)

The Australian opener is one of the most prolific batters in the history of T20Is. He led his national team to T20 glory in 2021 by winning the 20-20 World Cup. The 35-year-old is vastly experienced in Indian T20 League having played 92 matches scoring 2091 runs. He has 15 half-centuries to his name in his Indian T20 League career. Heading into the auction, the Hyderabad franchise can eye Finch as a possible contender for the captain spot.

5 Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal (Source: Twitter)

The Indian opener is known for giving explosive starts to his team. He was involved in many memorable partnerships with KL Rahul for the Punjab Franchise. As he’s been released by his franchise ahead of the mini-auction, Hyderabad can bid for him and name him as the captain for the upcoming season. Agarwal can bring in his experience of playing on Indian pitches to work and take tactful decisions for Hyderabad in the field.