Kane Williamson To Miss New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup Match in Chennai; Here's Why

NZ vs AFG: Kane Williamson will miss New Zealand's upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan in Chennai on October 18.

The news comes as a huge setback for New Zealand fans as Kane Williamson made his comeback to international cricket following a six-month hiatus. ( Image Source :PTI )

Kane Williamson injury: In what comes as a huge setback for New Zealand, Kane Williamson sustained a thumb injury during his team's ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh on Friday (October 13) and is all set to miss New Zealand's upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan in Chennai on October 18. The injury is quite saddening for Williamson and his fans as the veteran made his comeback to international cricket following a six-month hiatus due to a knee injury, which he sustained during an Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture.

During the post-match press conference, Williamson revealed that he suffered an injury to his thumb. To know the exact severity of Williamson's injury, New Zealand's medical staff suggested the skipper to undergo scans the following day. In NZ vs BAN match, Williamson retired hurt after scoring a fifty.

"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."

X-Ray confirms undisplaced fracture to Kane Williamson’s left thumb.

- He will be with the squad aiming to be available for next month. pic.twitter.com/SvACaehhj9

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 14, 2023

Kane Williamson's injury resulted from a throw from the outfield that struck his left hand and made contact with the handle of his bat. Despite receiving initial treatment on the field, the injury appears to have been severe enough to force him to leave the game.

New Zealand's unbeaten streak, back-to-back three wins in ICC Men's World Cup 2023, has put them at top of ICC World Cup points table with three wins in as many matches. After a four-day break, New Zealand will play their next World Cup match against Afghanistan on October 18 in Chennai.