New Zealand’s white-ball skipper Kane Williamson will require surgery on his injured right knee, after scans confirmed that he’d ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while fielding for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 opener against Chennai Super Kings on March 31.

The standard rehabilitation period means that Williamson is unlikely to be fit and available for selection for the ICC Cricket World Cup in India later this year.

“I’ve received great support over the past few days and want to thank both the Gujarat Titans and New Zealand Cricket for that.”

“Naturally it’s disappointing to get such an injury, but my focus now is on having the surgery and starting rehab.”

“It’s going to take some time, but I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field as soon as possible,” Williamson said in a statement issued by New Zealand Cricket.

During the IPL 2023 opener, Williamson injured his knee badly while attempting to take a spectacular catch near the boundary to dismiss Ruturaj Gaikwad.

After jumping high in the air to keep the ball from crossing the boundary, Williamson landed on his right knee, which buckled under his body weight and the Kiwi was seen grimacing in pain near the ropes. 

Despite receiving some treatment from the team physio, Williamson had to be carried away by his teammates into the pavilion and he was subbed out by impact player Sai Sudharsan later on, when he was unable to bat.

While his participation in the 2023 ODI World Cup now looks unlikely, Williamson vowed to support the team in any way he could.

“I look forward to doing what I can to support Gary and the team over the next few months.”

Kane Williamson is likely to have surgery on his knee within the next three weeks.