New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson has expressed his determination to make a comeback for the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, although he acknowledges the tough road ahead. Williamson suffered a serious knee injury during a match in the IPL 2023 season while playing for the Gujarat Titans. He damaged the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee on March 31, 2023.
In the face of this setback, Williamson’s resilience has shone through as he undergoes rehabilitation. Following surgery in April 2023, he has been dedicatedly working on his recovery. As of August 1, 2023, he has already resumed batting practice, facing throwdowns in practice sessions. However, he remains realistic about the extent of progress still needed before he can return to the international cricket scene.
Guided by New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, and the team management, Williamson’s recovery progress has been encouraging. There is optimism about his potential participation in the upcoming ODI World Cup, set to take place in India between October and November 2023. Even though he might miss some initial matches, his inclusion in the squad is not ruled out.
Throughout his rehabilitation journey, Williamson has adopted a step-by-step approach, prioritizing achieving small goals instead of fixating on distant objectives. He shared, “To be at the World Cup is always special. It’s still just guesswork at the moment in terms of when the day is or how it’s tracking at the time.” He further added, “There’s a lot of work to do. I am just really following the program, with the professionals for physio, the support staff and New Zealand cricket. And it’s tough, because you do have some good days, and then you have a few variable ones. However, something like that [World Cup] in the back of your mind is obviously motivating and you want to keep seeing those improvements.”