Kane Williamson’s ongoing struggle with injuries appears to persist, as the New Zealand captain sustained a thumb injury in the World Cup match against Bangladesh on Friday. This came after his return to international cricket following a six-month absence due to a knee injury. Consequently, he is likely to sit out of the upcoming NZ vs AFG World Cup clash scheduled for October 18 in Chennai.
Kane Williamson injured again. What happened?
Kane Williamson had an impressive stay on the pitch, scoring 78 runs. However, he was forced to leave the field due to an injury to his left hand sustained while running between the wickets. The injury occurred when a throw from the deep struck his left hand against the handle of the bat. Although he received on-field treatment, he eventually had to leave the game.
Prior to this match, Kane Williamson had not played in any game since his injury in the first Indian Premier League 2023 match in which he sustained the knee injury. He did participate in a couple of warm-up games but had not officially played until now. His contribution was significant as the New Zealand team was comfortably set to chase the target before his departure.
During the post-match presentation, Kane Williamson mentioned that his thumb had swollen, making it challenging to grip the bat. He also stated that he would undergo a scan the following day, expressing hope that the injury isn’t significant. Williamson also noted that the pitch exhibited some uneven bounce, but he believed it provided a significant level of competition.
“Just got a bit fat and colourful straight away so got a scan tomorrow, but hopefully it’s okay. I thought the guys in the first half of the performance were excellent. They just banged the wicket hard, it was a bit variable. And then later it was nice to build those partnerships and take the game late. Midway through the powerplay we realised that we should hit the surface. Not a bad surface, and a really good competitive wicket.”
In the meantime, New Zealand have maintained three wins in three matches, leading the points table with stunning performances. They do enjoy a four-day break before their next World Cup encounter with Afghanistan on October 18 in Chennai, and the New Zealand captain will be optimistic about making a swift recovery, especially given his performance against Bangladesh.
