Kane Williamson, a star batsman for New Zealand, will likely miss this year’s ODI World Cup in India because he needs surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, according to scan results.
In the opening match of the IPL 2023 against the Chennai Super Kings, Williamson suffered a knee injury while playing for the Gujarat Titans. He was then disqualified from the competition and sent back to New Zealand for more knee tests. He now has a protracted healing and rehabilitation period ahead of him.
Williamson stated in a statement released by New Zealand Cricket, “I’ve gotten fantastic support over the past few days and want to thank both the Gujarat Titans and New Zealand Cricket for that. Naturally, getting such an accident is disheartening, but right now my attention is on getting the surgery and beginning the recovery process. Even if it will take some time, I’ll make every effort to return to the field as soon as I can. Over the upcoming few months, I look forward to supporting Gary and the team in any way I can.
The recovery period following ACL reconstruction surgeries typically lasts six months, which corresponds to the current distance between now and the World Cup in India. Williamson’s operation, however, is anticipated to take place within the next three weeks since it is recommended to wait for the knee swelling to go down before the procedure.
Even if he performs better than anticipated, New Zealand’s captain was not likely to have played in any matches prior to the major competition. Gary Stead, the head coach, hasn’t fully ruled out Williamson playing in India, either.
Kane will achieve a number of milestones during the next six months or so, according to him. “From our perspective, we certainly haven’t given up hope on that,” he said.
“Kane the leader and the guy he is within our group as well, it’s a massive spanner in the works for us. Let’s start with Kane the player. Our first thoughts right now are, of course, with Kane because it’s a difficult time for him right now. It’s not the kind of injury you plan on getting; it just happens, and it hits you pretty hard at the time.
New Zealand, who placed second in the 2019 World Cup, will now need to reconsider its strategies for the 2023 tournament. Williamson won that most recent event in England after amassing 578 runs from nine innings at a fantastic average of 82.57 with two hundred and two fifty-pluses.