Scans confirm fracture on Kane Williamson's thumb; expected to partake in later stages of 2023 ODI World Cup 

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson's return has unfortunately been cut short as he has sustained an undisplaced fracture to his left thumb after being hit by a throw in the team's win over Bangladesh in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He retired hurt after scoring 78 runs off 107 deliveries at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.

Williamson underwent scans to assess the extent of the injury on Saturday, and as per the results, he will be out of action for a while. As a result, New Zealand Cricket has flown in Tom Blundell as an unofficial cover as the skipper continues to recover from the latest blow.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead offered some clarity on the situation while expressing hope that Williamson is available in the latter stages of the World Cup.

“Firstly, we’re all feeling for Kane to have this occur after all his hard work to return from his knee injury. While it’s disappointing news, the initial diagnosis has given us some optimism he can still feature later in the pool play following a period of rest and rehabilitation," he said.

“Kane is clearly a massive part of our side and a world class player and captain - so we’ll look to give him every opportunity we can to return in the tournament,” Stead added.

New Zealand have some crucial set of fixtures lined up in the next phase of the tournament, including matches against India, Australia, and South Africa.

The Blackcaps are currently perched at the top of the table with three consecutive wins under their belt.

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"He covers multiple positions in the batting order" - Gary Stead on Tom Blundell coming into the squad as cover for Kane Williamson

New Zealand are likely to revert to the playing XI that they used for their first two matches in the 2023 ODI World Cup in Kane Williamson's absence.

The skipper had only returned from a knee injury that he had sustained during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). He played as a pure batter in New Zealand's warm-up matches, and the contest against Bangladesh marked Williamson's official return to international cricket.

Gary Stead spoke highly about Williamson's cover Tom Blundell, praising his versatility as well as his form.

“Tom’s been with the one-day side on tours to Pakistan and Bangladesh and performed well. He covers multiple positions in the batting order and his wicket-keeping skills are also an added bonus as a back-up,” he stated.

New Zealand's next match is scheduled against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.