IPL 2023 | Kane Williamson set to miss ODI World Cup in India due to knee injury

Although cricket is a team game, there are always some great players who make the teams stronger than others. Kane Williamson, considered to be one of the fab four, is one of those few individuals who make batting a beautiful sight to watch for spectators. He was set to lead the New Zealand in the ODI World Cup this year but the Blackcaps have suffered a blow months before the start of the tournament. Williamson had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the  right knee while producing a superb fielding effort at boundary lines in the first match for Gujarat Titans. Thus, he will miss the ODI World Cup in India. 

The injury has turned out to be severe causing Kane to return to his homeland. The ace batter will now undergo surgery within the next three weeks once the swelling around the knee is reduced. An official statement from New Zealand Cricket confirmed the development. 

“Kane Williamson will require surgery on his injured right knee after scans on Tuesday confirmed he’d ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while fielding for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. The standard rehabilitation timelines mean that Williamson is now unlikely to be fit and available for selection at this year’s ICC ODI Cricket World Cup in India,” the release read. 

New Zealand will majorly miss his services as Williamson averages 47.83 across 161 ODIs, having struck 13 centuries. Also, he plays an anchor role in the team which allows others to show aggressive intent. Reflecting on his injury, Williamson stated that he will focus on recovery from now on. 

"Naturally it's disappointing to get such an injury, but my focus now is on having the surgery and starting rehab. It's going to take some time, but I'll be doing everything I can to get back on the field as soon as possible,” he explained. 

With Williamson out of the equation for captaincy, Tom Latham seems to be the frontrunner for the post as he had led the squad this year when the 32-year-old was missing and he will also captain the ODI side against Pakistan in the upcoming tour.