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
No games being played at this time. 3rd ODI - New Zealand v Pakistan - April 05, 22:00 GMT 1st Test - Bangladesh v Zimbabwe - April 20-24, 04:00 GMT 2nd ODI - New Zealand v Pakistan at New Zealand won by 84 runs 1st ODI - New Zealand v Pakistan at New Zealand won by 73 runs

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