Defending champions Gujarat Titans suffered a big blow on Sunday as Kane Williamson was been ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 after suffering an injury during Friday's tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings.
After a crushing defeat in the first ODI in Auckland, Shikhar Dhawan-led India will look to level the series in the second match against Kane Williamson's New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
Williamson said the pitch and overcast conditions prompted him to bowl first, with Adam Milne coming in for Trent Boult in the playing eleven. "It's been under covers for a large part, and also potentially some weather around. Always a great occasion when you get to play against India," he said.
In the recently concluded T20 World Cup, India and New Zealand failed to win their semifinal games respectively
The Kiwi skipper scored 40 on 40 ball with an average of 100, which resulted in his dismissal in the 15th over as the asking rate ballooned to 12.
Several former cricketers have been critical of his form and have asked New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to replace him.
"(We don't know) who our best players are, and I think the players might've lost a little bit of an understanding of what their roles are.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead gave an update on the charismatic captain of the World Test championship side on the eve of the match, saying Hamish Rutherford will replace him in the squad.
Williamson has made a complete recovery from the elbow injury that saw him miss the drawn Test series against Bangladesh and South Africa and is currently leading Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Williamson faced Australia in a warm-up match prior to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Super-12s. He led New Zealand in scoring with 37 off 30 balls while also aggravating his elbow.
