Brandon King ruled out of remainder of 2024 T20 World Cup; West Indies name Kyle Mayers as replacement
West Indies opening batter Brandon King has been replaced by Kyle Mayers for the remainder of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup following a side strain injury. The batter had sustained the injury while batting against England in the Men in Maroon's first Super 8 stage fixture in St. Lucia on Wednesday, June 19.
King was batting on 23 runs when disaster struck. He hurt himself while playing a straightforward shot and was treated by the medical staff immediately. Following a brief interval, it was deemed that the injury was serious enough for him to be retired hurt. The batter walked off the field and didn't partake in the rest of the match, which West Indies went on to lose by eight wickets.
West Indies skipper Rovman Powell had admitted that the injury was worrying but hoped to have King back for the next contest. However, the team's worst fears have come true now that the opener's campaign has come to a premature end.
"King will be replaced in the squad by the experienced Kyle Mayers in a move that has been approved by the ICC Event Technical Committee," ICC's statement read
Updated West Indies squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup
Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Kyle Mayers
Kyle Mayers had a prolific series against South Africa in the build up to the 2024 T20 World Cup
The all-rounder, who was part of the West Indies squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup, narrowly missed out on selection this time around. He failed to record a single appearance for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). However, he had an excellent series as part of the second-string side led by Brandon King in May against South Africa.
In that three-match series, Mayers scored 102 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 159.38. As a result, he is coming into the crucial juncture of the tournament with some form under his belt.
West Indies are under pressure after losing their opening match of the Super 8. Their remaining matches against the USA and South Africa are scheduled for June 21 and 23 respectively.