Kane williamson acl

Kane Williamson injury: ACL rupture

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The build-up to the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League has been overshadowed mostly by injuries so far. A number of marquee players including the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Kyle Jamieson, Jonny Bairstow and Rishabh Pant have already been ruled out of the competition and while we hoped for the storm to settle, Gujarat Titans’ Kane Williamson became the latest addition to the list of casualties with a long-term knee injury. So, what is Williamson’s injury? Will he require surgery? Will he make it in time for the ODI World Cup?

I will be answering all these questions (without any clickbait), by reviewing video footage, discussing the mechanism of the injury, the potential structures involved and the expected timeline of his return. So, let’s get started.

What is Kane Williamson injury?

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson signed up for the Gujarat Titans franchise in IPL 2023. The Kiwis’ leader was brought in to strengthen the batting lineup as well as to add experience to the dressing room. The 32-year old started in Gujarat’s opening game against Chennai Super Kings. Williamson, while fielding made a heroic effort to save a boundary and while landing he seemed to have twisted his right knee leading to the injury.

Photo credit: Cricbuzz

Watching back the video, Williamson’s right knee bent inwards(valgus) after planting the foot which is a concerning mechanism for an ACL/meniscus/MCL injury.

How bad is it?

It has now been officially confirmed by New Zealand that Kane Williamson has suffered a right ACL rupture. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee which prevents the anterior translation of the tibia w.r.t the femur bone.

Will Kane Williamson play in the 2023 ODI World Cup?

The logical answer is “No”. 

Kane Williamson will be undergoing an ACL reconstruction surgery which includes the introduction of a graft to make the new ACL. The expected time out is around 8-9 months. 

However, we have seen some players return early which is considered a fast recovery by the general public but it is very risky from a medical POV as the newly reconstructed graft requires time to integrate and there is always an increased chance of a recurrent tear. Therefore, the ideal time for RTP(return to play) is considered in the 8-9 months range which will rule him out for the WC.

Final thoughts

The Kane Williamson injury comes at a bad time for Gujarat Titans and at the worst possible time for the Black Caps ahead of the ODI World Cup. 

ACL ruptures in cricket are not that common but they do occur. Since Kane Williamson injury was a non-contact injury I would be slightly concerned about any associated injuries like meniscus/MCL tears which can remain undisclosed. Nevertheless, I hope Williamson takes his time to recover and does not try to rush for the ODI World Cup. I hope you found our Kane Williamson injury article helpful. We will hopefully post more cricket injury news in the future. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, you can check out our football injury table by clicking here.


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