Knee injury leaves Kane Williamson’s IPL 2023 for Gujarat Titans hanging in the balance | Cricket News – Times of India

Kane Williamson suffered a right knee injury during Gujarat Titan’s opening win of IPL 2023 against Chennai Super Kings on Friday, and it has put his further participation in the season under a cloud.
New Zealand captain Williamson hurt his knee in a fall while fielding in the opening match of the tournament and then limped off the field in the 13th over of CSK innings.
Williamson, who was making his Gujarat Titans debut, intercepted a ball headed for a possible six off CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad’s bat.

He managed to palm the ball into the field of play before it bounced onto the boundary ropes. But he fell awkwardly on the ground and clutched his right knee in pain.
The extent of his injury is not yet known, but it didn’t look good.
He was taken off after receiving on-field treatment and did not come back to ba 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.
Titans captain Hardik Pandya had said at the post-match press conference that he did not know how serious was the injury.

“It is knee (injury) 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 much time it will take (to heal). Right now there is no time frame,” Pandya said.
“I had just messaged him. He (Williamson) has gone for the scans, once he comes back after the scans and doctors check (on him), then only we will be able to know what exactly it is.”
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,” said Stead, who had spoken to Williamson since the incident and found him in “OK” spirits.

“All we know at this stage is it’s his right knee. Unfortunately I can’t give you much more than that now until we find out more information,” Stead was quoted as saying by www.stuff.co.nz.
“It’s not nice to see anyone, let alone your captain of your white ball team, being injured. It’s a big blow for him, and it’s a big blow for us.”
Williamson’s previous stint in the cash-rich league was for Sunrisers Hyderabad, having captained the side for major part of his stay there since 2015.

(With agency inputs)