Kane Williamson to miss Mumbai Test as well
New Zealand have taken a “cautious approach” with Kane Williamson by ruling out the star batter from the side’s third and final Test against India in Mumbai, starting November 1.
New Zealand have taken a “cautious approach” with Kane Williamson by ruling out the star batter from the side’s third and final Test against India in Mumbai, starting November 1.
Kane Williamson, former skipper and New Zealand’s most-experienced batter, is set to miss the second Test against India, starting October 24 in Pune as he is “yet to be 100 percent fit” after sustaining a groin strain.
The 33-year-old admitted that he is pursuing an opportunity to play in an overseas league during the New Zealand summer and hence won’t be available for the national side during that period. Apart from that time frame, he has reaffirmed his commitment to be always available to play for New Zealand.
Prior to this, the pair gave birth to a boy in 2022 and a girl in 2019.
Defending champions Gujarat Titans suffered a big blow on Sunday as Kane Williamson was been ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 after suffering an injury during Friday's tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings.
"(We don't know) who our best players are, and I think the players might've lost a little bit of an understanding of what their roles are.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead gave an update on the charismatic captain of the World Test championship side on the eve of the match, saying Hamish Rutherford will replace him in the squad.
Williamson has made a complete recovery from the elbow injury that saw him miss the drawn Test series against Bangladesh and South Africa and is currently leading Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Williamson faced Australia in a warm-up match prior to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Super-12s. He led New Zealand in scoring with 37 off 30 balls while also aggravating his elbow.
Williamson, the top-ranked Test batsman and captain of New Zealand across formats, along with Test regulars Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson, have deals with IPL teams.
