New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson’s comeback has been cut short due to an undisplaced fracture to his left thumb sustained during the team’s triumph against Bangladesh in the 2023 ODI World Cup. On Friday, he got injured after hitting 78 runs off 107 deliveries at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.
On Saturday, October 14, kane Williamson had scans to determine the extent of his injuries, and the findings indicate that he will be sidelined for some time. As a result, New Zealand Cricket has brought in Tom Blundell as an unofficial replacement while the skipper recovers from the latest setback.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead clarified the issue, expressing hope that Williamson will be ready in the World Cup’s latter stages.
“Firstly, we’re all feeling for Kane to have this occur after all his hard work to return from his knee injury. While it’s disappointing news, the initial diagnosis has given us some optimism he can still feature later in the pool play following a period of rest and rehabilitation,”
“Kane is clearly a massive part of our side and a world class player and captain – so we’ll look to give him every opportunity we can to return in the tournament,” Stead added.
Gary Stead
In the following round of the event, New Zealand will face India, Australia, and South Africa, among others.
The Blackcaps are presently at the top of the standings, having won three games in a row.
Tom Blundell Replaces Injured Kane Williamson, Can Bat in Multiple Positions: Gary Stead
In Kane Williamson’s absence, New Zealand are expected to revert to the starting XI that they employed in their first two ODI World Cup matches in 2023.
The captain had just recently recovered from a knee injury incurred during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). In New Zealand’s warm-up matches, he batted alone, and the match against Bangladesh marked his formal return to international cricket.
Gary Stead praised Tom Blundell’s adaptability as well as his form.
“Tom’s been with the one-day side on tours to Pakistan and Bangladesh and performed well. He covers multiple positions in the batting order and his wicket-keeping skills are also an added bonus as a back-up,”
New Zealand’s next encounter is against Afghanistan on Wednesday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.