Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson has managed to increase his scoring rate while still making consistent totals in the IPL.

Kane Williamson insists he is no David Warner and there's a growing feeling that Indian fans now think he's even better.

Australian Warner lost his place in the Indian Premier League for his part in the ball-tampering scandal in the recent test series against South Africa.

Kiwi Williamson, the Black Caps skipper, stepped up to replace Warner as captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad and has been plundering runs while his leadership skills have helped his team to the top of the table.

AP Kane Williamson's calm captaincy has helped his Sunrisers Hyderabad team in the field.

"I don't think it's a matter of replacing David Warner. I think that's probably an impossible thing to do. He is one of the best T20 batters in the world and for this franchise in the last few years," the modest Williamson said.

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But Williamson is playing down his own importance to his team's revival.

With eight wins from 10 games the Sunrisers are suddenly favourites for the title with Williamson (410 runs at 51.25 average) the first captain to amass more than 400 runs this season and the first batsman to hit five half-centuries in IPL 11.

The Times of India were rich in their praise of Williamson as they assessed his performances in the tournament, saying he had taken to the captaincy "like a fish takes to water" after the "quirk of fate" handed him the unexpected role in cricket's most high-profile league.

"The David Warner blow was supposed to derail the SRH plans but Williamson showed that he is an able replacement and his exploits have made the fans forget the loss of the Australian for the time being at least," Times cricket correspondent Solomon Kumar wrote.

"Williamson is the only foreigner to captain an IPL team this season and he has in fact put to shade some of the other best in the business like Virat Kohli. While the Indian has struggled to get his team going, the New Zealander has been inspirational and his calm presence of mind has instilled a sense of confidence in his teammates. The Sunrisers have turned into favourites for the title and Williamson has played a major role in that.

"What makes his exploits great is the fact that he wouldn't have been a first choice in the playing XI if Warner was available.

"Williamson had warmed the benches for most part of last season and would have suffered the same fate if not for Warner's indiscretion in South Africa."

Asked if the mantle of captaincy had brought about a change in his approach to the game, Williamson deferred: "It's a very difficult question. I think I am the same person. As a player you go out and contribute to the team as best as you can and fill the role you are given. It is the focus for all the players."

But ESPN believe circumstances have led Williamson to being "a different beast" this year.

"In the absence of David Warner, he has added a layer of calculated risk-taking to his game to elevate his scoring rate. His strike-rate of 131.83 is discernibly better than his career strike-rate of 119.15, and he's managed it in a season of low totals for Sunrisers Hyderabad," wrote Akshay Gopalakrishnan.

He felt that was never better illustrated in the team's latest win.

"On a tough batting surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Williamson displayed clarity in thought that enabled him to bat on a different plane to the rest of his team."

Statistics showed the Williams has scored about 38 runs more than par for a batsman batting in his position and game situations.