‘Hyderabad will always be very special to me’- Kane Williamson shares heartfelt post after being released by the SRH

After the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, cricketers from around the world who were part of IPL franchises were keen to understand their fate as the retention and released list of players were made official by the league.

Many sides have made quite a few interesting changes to their squad with some bold calls as they released certain heavyweights ahead of the new season. Such is the case with Kane Williamson, who led the Sunrisers Hyderabad last edition but was released from the side for IPL 2023. 

Williamson took to social media to express his gratitude towards the Orange Army and the members of the side he relished a special bond with during his stint.

"To the franchise, my teammates, the staff, and the always amazing #orangearmy - thank you for making it an enjoyable 8 years. This team and the city of Hyderabad will always be very special to me," said Williamson on Instagram.

It wasn't a surprise when the retention list was released: Kane Williamson

The Hyderabad franchise made Williamson their full-time skipper for the 2022 season by retaining him for INR 14 crore, making him their most expensive player. However, the side could not make it big in the tournament despite relishing a winning run in the initial couple of matches. Williamson who is now released ahead of the mini-auction stated that he was not too surprised by the move.

"There are a lot of competitions around the world, and the IPL is certainly an amazing completion to be a part of. You see players play for different teams all the time. There are a lot of options, lot of cricket, so for me, I love playing all formats. It wasn't a surprise when it (retention list) was officially released,” said Williamson as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

IPL franchises will now keep tabs on the player and could look to snap up his services ahead of the mini-auction scheduled to be held next month in Kochi.