New Zealand captain Kane Williamson made his much-awaited return to the cricket field in the 2023 World Cup match against Pakistan earlier today (November 4). Batting at number three, Kane scored 95 runs off 79 runs, hitting 10 fours and two sixes at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bowl first in Bengaluru. The decision has backfired for the Men in Green because the Blackcaps have crossed the 300-run mark in the 40th over itself. Rachin Ravindra scored a magnificent century for the Blackcaps.
He received fine support from captain Williamson, who missed out on his hundred by just five runs. Fans on social media lauded the New Zealand skipper for his innings, with some of them even joking that he has returned to trouble India in the knockout round.
Here are some of the top reactions:
Kane Williamson has an excellent record as captain against India in ICC events
New Zealand have been India's nightmare at ICC events, especially in the knockout matches. The Men in Blue defeated the Blackcaps for the first time in 20 years at an ICC event earlier in the 2023 World Cup, but their regular captain Kane Williamson missed the match because of an injury.
The Blackcaps skipper is back in form now, and it seems likely that New Zealand will be India's opponent in the semifinals. New Zealand beat India in the 2019 World Cup semifinals and 2021 WTC final under Williamson's captaincy.
It will be interesting to see if the Indian team can defeat the Blackcaps once again in the 2023 World Cup. India received a massive blow earlier today as Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the remainder of the competition.
Still, India have a world-class team, which can crush any opponent in the ODI format. The Indian team is currently in Kolkata, gearing up for their next league-round fixture against the South African team.
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