Kane Williamson's injury is not serious, according to New Zealand coach Gary Stead

What's the story?

After injuring his shoulder in the second Test against Bangladesh, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson's participation is doubtful for the third Test. The injury was also expected to delay his departure for the 2019 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at first, but that may be only a remote possibility.

Williamson faced a severe injury to his shoulder while fielding during the first innings of the second Test at Wellington.

In case you didn't know...

After a below average India series, New Zealand made a strong comeback in their next assignment against Bangladesh. The Kiwis whitewashed the hosts 3-0 in the ODI series, while they have also clinched the Test series with one match to go.

Skipper Williamson has been an important part of the side, with not only his excellent leadership skills but also his valuable contributions with the bat.

The heart of the matter

The right-handed batsman injured himself in the second Test, and there were initial fears that this could be a huge blow to the Black Caps ahead of the all-import World Cup. But coach Gary Stead defused the alarm bells about Williamson's injury by saying,

"There's obviously irritation and a wee bit of bleeding, it's not a major injury."

"We're hopeful that he will recover quickly, and the thing for us is to make sure he doesn't aggravate it any more. He will come to Christchurch and we will make an assessment there on whether he plays," Stead added.

He also made a comment about Williamson's participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is set to start from March 23rd.

"If things progress as we hope, then still going to the IPL shouldn't be a problem to him," said Stead.

What's next?

New Zealand would be aiming to continue their dominance in the third Test at Christchurch, starting from Saturday. Even without Williamson, their team looks strong enough to meet any challenge posed by the visitors.

If Williamson misses a significant chunk of the IPL though, his team Sunrisers Hyderabad would suffer a great deal.