"Welcome back, Kane mama!"- Fans erupt as Kane Williamson hits a fluent fifty on comeback in warm-up match vs Pakistan ahead of World Cup
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson hit a fluent half-century on his comeback on Friday (September 29) after spending almost six months on the sidelines.
It came in the warm-up match of the World Cup against Pakistan at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, where he played for several years in the IPL during his time with SRH.
Pakistan batted first in the contest and scored 345/5 in 50 overs. Middle-order batters Mohammad Rizwan (103), Babar Azam (80), and Saud Shakeel (73) have utilized the opportunity and got a good hit in the middle ahead of the World Cup.
Devon Conway then departed for a golden duck in the chase. Kane Williamson (54) walked in at number three and looked his fluent best right from the onset.
He hit his trademark back-foot shots on both sides of the wicket and announced his comeback in style, which is great news for the Kiwis team.
Williamson hit a half-century in 49 balls and stabilized the innings with a counter-attacking partnership with Rachin Ravindra (97). He returned to the pavilion and retired hurt after the 18th over to give a chance to other batters in the line-up.
Fans were delighted after witnessing Kane Williamson back in action after a lengthy injury layoff.
Here are some of the top reactions on X (Twitter):
Kane Williamson set to miss the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup opening match against England
New Zealand Cricket gave an official update on Friday about Kane Williamson's fitness status by revealing that he will miss the opening match of the World Cup against England as he is yet to achieve optimum fitness.
Below is New Zealand’s schedule for the ICC 2023 World Cup:
Match 1: October 5 - England vs New Zealand, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, 2 PM IST
Match 2: October 9 - New Zealand v Netherlands, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, 2 PM IST
Match 3: October 13 - New Zealand v Bangladesh, M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 2 PM IST
Match 4: October 18 - New Zealand v Afghanistan, M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 2 PM IST
Match 5: October 22 - India vs New Zealand, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala, 2 PM IST
Match 6: October 28 - New Zealand V Australia, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala, 10:30 AM IST
Match 7: November 1 - New Zealand v South Africa, MCA Stadium, Pune, Mumbai, 2 PM IST
Match 8: November 4 - New Zealand v Pakistan, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 2 PM IST
Match 9: November 9 - New Zealand v Sri Lanka, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 2 PM IST
New Zealand's 15-man World Cup squad: Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Will Young, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
Do you think New Zealand can go on and win the World Cup? Let us know your views in the comments section.