"The hamstring niggle is minor and it's progressing nicely" - New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has brushed off any serious concerns about his hamstring injury ahead of the T20 World Cup. Williamson missed Sunrisers Hyderabad's final game of IPL 2021 due to a hamstring niggle.
However, Williamson remains highly optimistic about his availability for New Zealand's tournament opener against Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup on October 26. The right-handed batsman also has issues with his elbow, which he thinks should be fully remedied soon.
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Kane Williamson declared that the hamstring injury is a minor one and is recovering well. The 30-year-old said he hopes to resume full training in a few days and is optimistic it will turn out well. The Tauranga-born lad told Cricbuzz:
"The hamstring is minor, it's progressing nicely, so not too many concerns and we've still got plenty of time. So, yeah, hopefully, in the next sort of few days or so I'll be taking basically full part in the training. So, it's all good. The elbow - it has just been a bit of a slow-burner."
Williamson added:
"Yeah, it has been quite frustrating for a long period of time. In rehab, it has definitely seemed to move forward, which is refreshing. But still a little bit of time to get back to a 100 (percent) but it's definitely better."
Williamson will lead the Kiwis for the second time in the 2021 T20 World Cup and will be looking to improve on their performance in the 2016 edition. He took his team to the semi-finals, where England beat them convincingly.
They've varied a lot actually: Kane Williamson on the conditions on offer in the UAE
Williamson also observed that the decks haven't been as easy for the batters in IPL 2021 compared to the last season. The Black Caps' skipper feels teams need to adjust quickly by assessing the conditions well while underlining the need to play smart cricket. He said:
"They've varied a lot actually. Even a lot compared to what we experienced last summer when we had the whole tournament here [the UAE] and in previous years when we've played here as well. It's something to be aware of. It's something certainly to prepare for and try and make those adjustments as quickly as possible."
Williamson added:
"We have to get comfortable with what realistic expectations are and what competitive totals are because it has not unfolded in that traditional T20 style at times."
Williamson's form with the bat had been inconsistent in IPL 2021. He will have the chance to rediscover his touch in New Zealand's warm-up games against Australia and England.