Williamson named Sunrisers captain after Warner axe

Hyderabad: Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday named New Zealand's Kane Williamson as captain after scandal-tainted Australian David Warner withdrew.

"I have accepted the role to stand in as captain for this season. It's an exciting opportunity with a talented group of players," the 27-year-old Kiwi skipper said in a statement released by the club on Twitter.

Williamson has a $460,000 deal with the Sunrisers for this season, which starts April 7. Warner, who was banned for a year on Wednesday along with disgraced Australian captain Steve Smith, had a $1.9 million contract.

Warner and Smith, who has been barred from playing for Rajastan Royals in the IPL, were at the centre of a ball-tampering scandal during Australia's series in South Africa.

The pair were among the highest-paid foreign stars in the IPL.

Hyderabad, who won the 2016 IPL, will host Rajasthan in their opening match on April 9.

Scores	Upcoming	Results
South Africa vs Pakistan - 3rd ODI 4th Test - Australia v India - December 26-30, 23:30 GMT 1st Test - Zimbabwe v Afghanistan - December 26-30, 07:30 GMT 3rd ODI - Zimbabwe v Afghanistan at Harare Afghanistan won by 8 wickets (with 139 balls remaining) 3rd T20I - West Indies v Bangladesh at St Vincent Bangladesh won by 80 runs

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