New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season 16 due to injury sustained during the opening game of the tournament. Williamson had already pulled out of the Pakistan and Sri Lanka tours, but was hoping to represent his IPL team, the Gujarat Titans.
However, while fielding in the opening game, Williamson injured his knee and was taken off the field immediately. In consultation with New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Williamson and his team decided to withdraw him from the rest of the IPL season to keep him fit for the ICC World Cup.
Senior Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta confirmed Williamson’s absence from the remaining IPL matches, calling it a “big blow” to the Gujarat Titans. However, the Titans have yet to make an official statement regarding the injury or any potential replacement for Williamson.
It is worth noting that Williamson, along with other New Zealand players such as Tim Southee, Devon Conway, and Mitchell Santner, were given permission to leave the Sri Lanka and Pakistan tours and join their IPL teams ahead of the tournament.
In the absence of some key players, New Zealand announced their T20I squad against Pakistan, with Tom Latham as captain. The squad will face Pakistan in a five-match T20I series, starting on April 14 in Lahore.
