T20 World Cup: Will Kane Williamson play vs India? New Zealand coach gives big update

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson did not feature in New Zealand’s recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 warm-up fixture against England on October 20. His elbow injury is a matter of concern for the Kiwis, as he also missed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s last league match in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

Williamson came out to bat in New Zealand’s first warm-up match against Australia on October 18, and top-scored for the team, courtesy of his innings of 37 runs off 30 balls. Meanwhile, as per Stuff.co.nz, NZ team's head coach Gary Stead opened up about the skipper’s injury concern following their warm-up match against England and has also revealed that the player could miss a few matches in the T20 World Cup.

New Zealand play their first match of the Super-12 stage match against Pakistan on October 26, and amidst all the speculations, it will be interesting to see if Williamson features during New Zealand vs India on October 31. After New Zealand’s second warm-up match, coach Stead admitted that Williamson’s elbow injury flared up a bit during their previous clash against Australia.

As reported by Stuff.co.nz, Gary Stead said that the skipper’s absence from the batting unit against England was more of a precautionary measure rather than anything else. 

Kane is a prodigious hitter of balls: Gary Stead

When asked if Williamson will miss any matches in the World Cup, Stead answered,

"There’s always that chance. We're still pretty hopeful and confident that if we get the rest right, initially here now, and get that balance right then he should be right to play. Kane is a prodigious hitter of and balls, he loves to prepare that way as well, and in some ways that's probably the worst thing he can do, is over-hit at times. So it's really getting that balance right, between feeling ready and feeling prepared to go, and making sure we don't aggravate anything."

Stead further added that the team makes sure everyone gets an opportunity to bat and bowl, to figure out the best combination. New Zealand find themselves in Group-2 of the Super-12 stage alongside India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the two teams which qualify for the Super-12 after the group stage.

They will start their campaign by playing against Pakistan, and will face India in their second match. They will face the two qualifying teams in their next two fixtures, followed by their last match against Afghanistan.

(Image: ANI)