Sunrisers Hyderabad received some bad news close to the start of the 12th edition of the IPL with Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson a fitness concern.
Williamson might end up missing the third Test against Bangladesh – which begins in Christchurch on Saturday – and may even have to delay his departure for the IPL after suffering a shoulder injury while fielding in Bangladesh’s first innings of the second Test in Wellington.
Kiwi coach Gary Stead said scans found a tear in Williamson’s left pectoral minor muscle of his shoulder.
“There’s obviously irritation and a wee bit of bleeding, it’s not a major injury,” Stead was quoted as saying by AFP. “We’re hopeful that he will recover quickly, and the thing for us is to make sure he doesn’t aggravate it any more. He will come to Christchurch and we will make an assessment there on whether he plays.”
Stead said New Zealand will take a “safety first” approach with the World Cup in mind.
“No player wants to give up their spot in the Test team. But I think it’s safe to say that we will probably err on the conservative side, and if there’s any chance of risk then we’re likely to pull him from that game.”
Williamson will undergo a fitness test over the next two days to assess his match fitness. But if things don’t turn out well, the Kiwi management will hold him back until he recovers completely.
“If things progress as we hope, then still going to the IPL shouldn’t be a problem to him,” Stead said. “But he’s also aware that if he’s not quite 100 per cent, then we will potentially hold him back as well and make sure that he is right before he goes on that plane.”
Sunrisers have let go of opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and still don’t know how fit David Warner will be on his comeback from elbow surgery.
