Kane Williamson to lead Sunrisers in IPL 2018

 New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was on Thursday named captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad after Australian David Warner was banned from playing in IPL 2018 in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal.

"We are happy to announce Kane Williamson as the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2018," the franchise's CEO K. Shanmugam announced on Twitter.

In accepting the role, Williamson made it a point to mention that he was "standing in as captain for this season."

"I've accepted the role to stand in as captain for this season. It's an exciting opportunity with a talented group of players. I look forward to the challenges ahead," Williamson said. 

The franchise's decision to pick Williamson is, however, likely to raise a few eyebrows. 

In his previous three seasons with the Sunrisers, Williamson played only 15 matches with a modest record -- 411 runs at a strike rate of 129.24 with three half centuries.