IPL 2023: Will Gujarat Titans' Kane Williamson miss tournament remainder with right knee injury?
IPL 2023: On Friday, Kane Williamson injured his right knee during Gujarat Titans' opener against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad. His stint this season could be cut short as he did not further participate in the match and was replaced by an Impact Player.
FollowNew Zealand captain Kane Williamson's further participation in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) has been doubtful due to a right knee injury he suffered during his team's winning effort against former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. 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.
The extent of his injury is not yet known, but going by what was seen on Friday night, it did not seem like a minor injury. In making his Gujarat Titans (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. 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 return to bat, with B Sai Sudharsan coming in as a substitute fielder first and later, he took Williamson's place in the Titans' playing XI under the Impact Player rule. An IPL source told PTI there is little chance for Williamson to take further part in the IPL though the assessment of his injury is still ongoing.
"Williamson will probably require ACL reconstruction and could be out of competitive cricket indefinitely," said the IPL source. At the post-match press conference, Titans captain Hardik Pandya said that he did not know the seriousness of the injury. "It is knee for sure, but I don't have any update about what exactly has happened. I don't know how serious the injury is and how long it will take [to heal]. Right now, there is no time frame," Pandya said.
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"I had just messaged him. He [Williamson] has gone for the scans. Once he comes back after the scans and doctors check [on him], only we will know what exactly it is," added Pandya. In Auckland, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said Williamson's injury was a big blow to the national team.
"Our first thoughts are obviously with him. We're not sure at this stage of the severity of the injury. He's being assessed in the next 24-48 hours. So, we will know more after that," added Stead, who had spoken to Williamson since the incident and found him in "OK" spirits.
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"All we know at this stage is it's his right knee. Unfortunately, I can only give you a little more once we find more information. It's not nice to see anyone, let alone the captain of your white ball team, being injured. It's a big blow for him, and it's a big blow for us," Stead voiced by www.stuff.co.nz.
If Williamson is ruled out, the Titans will ask for a replacement. The probable candidates could be senior Australia batter Steve Smith, currently doing IPL commentary, and Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka, a handy all-rounder. Both Smith and Shanaka went unsold in the IPL auction earlier this year. Williamson had played for former champion Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) since 2015 and captained them entirely in 2018 and 2022 and partially in 2019 and 2021.
(With inputs from PTI)
