IPL 2023: On Friday, Kane Williamson suffered a knee injury during Gujarat Titans' opening game against Chennai Super Kings. While he has been ruled out of the tournament remainder, supporters have been left heartbroken.
Kane Williamson, the defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) batter, has been ruled out of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) owing to a knee injury, the franchise said on Sunday. Last Friday, the New Zealand batting mainstay sustained the injury during the season opener against former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Williamson injured his right knee while attempting a catch during the opening match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. "It is sad to lose Kane to injury early in the tournament. We wish him a speedy recovery, with the hope of seeing him in action very soon," said GT's director of cricket, Vikram Solanki, in a press release.
Williamson will now head home to New Zealand for further assessment, the defending champions said in the press release. GT will finalise a replacement for the right-handed batter, and an announcement will be made soon. "Following his release from the @gujarat_titans with a knee injury, Kane Williamson will return to NZ to have the injury further assessed. Preparations are underway for him to return to NZ next week and be seen by relevant medical specialists to establish a treatment plan," said New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on social media.
The 32-year-old got injured following a nasty fall while fielding on the boundary during the CSK innings. He had limped off the field in the 13th over. In his GT debut, Williamson intercepted a ball headed for a possible six off CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad's bat. He palmed the ball into the field before it bounced onto the boundary ropes.
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But he fell awkwardly on the ground, clutching his right knee in pain. He was taken off after receiving on-field treatment. He did not come back to bat with B Sai Sudharsan coming on as a substitute fielder first, and later, he took Williamson's place in the Titans' playing XI under the Impact Player rule.
(With inputs from PTI)
