Determined, Kane Williamson is progressing through rehabilitation to captain the New Zealand team in the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. In April, the 33-year-old suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, initially casting doubt on his prospects for the prestigious tournament. Nevertheless, his diligent efforts in rehabilitation have led to a surprisingly swift recovery. Williamson aims to achieve fitness for New Zealand’s opening match against defending champions England on October 5.
“It would be great. Naturally, you want to be back playing when you are fit and ready, sooner rather than later. You hope that ends up being around that World Cup time, but I’m still being very focused on the rehab day-to-day and not wanting those targets to stretch it to a point where you take a backward step,” Kane Williamson said.
Gary Stead, the coach of the New Zealand team, has stated that there is no set date for Kane Williamson’s return to play. Nevertheless, his comeback will be a significant morale boost for the team. Williamson’s exceptional performances, including centuries against South Africa and the West Indies, played a crucial role in New Zealand’s journey to the verge of winning the trophy, earning him the Player of the Tournament title in the 2019 edition.
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Kane Williamson’s World Cup drive amid injury
With over 6,500 runs in ODI cricket to his name, Williamson is eager to participate in his fourth World Cup and acknowledges that the anticipation of it keeps him dedicated to daily gym sessions and hard work. Although New Zealand has had warm-up tours in England and Bangladesh in preparation for the World Cup, Kane Williamson’s injury has limited his training and preparation. However, he remains relatively unconcerned about this.
“Naturally, it isn’t ideal, but I didn’t get too much of a say in it. It’s the only option I have in front of me and the prospect of playing another World Cup is really, really exciting. It’s something you always want to be a part of but I didn’t want that to dictate my rehab. At the same time, having a carrot at the back of your mind is helpful,” he said.
Even though he is fervently eager to play, the New Zealand captain stated that he would readily step aside from the squad if his injury were to reoccur.
“I only want to be there if I can add some value and I’m fit and ready to go,” Williamson said.
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