Twitter Reactions: Kane Williamson lights up IPL 2017 with a classy 89

Not many associate Kane Williamson with the slam-bang version of the game. But this man can be as effective as any in T20 cricket, make no mistake. He reminded everyone of his prowess in the shortest version of the game with a classy 89 against the Delhi Daredevils at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Williamson has warmed the bench for the first five games but did not look rusty at all when he was drafted in the XI today. He struggled to get going early on, though he was timing the ball really well but he just couldn’t find the gaps. He got a move on finally when he got stuck into Angelo Mathews’ military medium-pace, hitting the Sri Lankan for consecutive sixes in the seventh over.

The good thing about Williamson’s innings was he never tried muscling the ball and played proper cricketing shots throughout his innings and yet he managed to score at a strike rate of 174.50.

The Kiwi skipper was playing in just his 9th game in the IPL and had just a solitary six to his name. He managed to smash as many as 5 sixes in his knock of 89 today, which came off just 51 balls. The Kiwi hit six classy boundaries in his sparkling innings.

Williamson raised his half-century in the 12th over taking just 33 balls to reach his landmark. Post his fifty, Williamson shifted gears as he made 39 in his next 18 balls.

Williamson’s innings showed that you don’t have to clobber the ball to score quickly in this format. You can still make runs with a solid technique and by playing proper cricketing shots.

The 26-year old fell short of a second T20 hundred by 11 runs. He deserved a century because of his special innings today which has lit the IPL 2017.