No place for Steve Smith yet as Gujarat Titans name Kane Williamson's replacement

Kane Williamson (Pic Courtesy: AFP)

Much to Gujarat Titans' dismay, Kiwi batter Kane Williamson's campaign in 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was cut short as he has been ruled out of the tournament after sustaining a knee injury in their season opener against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad. Speculations were rife that the side might opt for Australian star batter Steve Smith in Williamson's place, but the top-order batter was not part of the IPL auction which negates his qualification chances. The Titans on Tuesday instead named Sri Lanka all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as Williamson's replacement.

The explosive middle-order Shanaka, who also bowls right-arm seam, was purchased at his base price of Rs 50 lakh, after having gone unsold in the auction. The Sri Lankan limited overs skipper will make a maiden appearance in the tournament. He was in sublime form in the recently held T20I series in India where he smacked 124 runs at a strike rate of 187 and 121 runs in the ODI contest.

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Meanwhile, Williamson was ruled out of the ongoing IPL after sustaining an injury to his right leg while attempting a catch in the season-opener against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on March 31. "I just want to wish the Gujarat Titans team all the best the remainder of the season. Wish I could have been there with you all, but not to be. I also want to thank the fans for their love and support. I look forward to a speedy recovery," Williamson said in an Instagram post.

In what marked his debut appearance for Gujarat Titans, Williamson was believed to have twisted his knee while attempting to take a catch at the deep square leg boundary. Having grabbed the ball to stop the six from Ruturaj Gaikwad, he threw it in. Just when it landed on the ground and later rolled towards the boundary rope for quick four runs, Williamson was seen clutching his knee, writhing in pain. He was stretchered off the field with B Sai Sudharsan replacing him via 'Impact Player' rule.

"It is sad to lose Kane to injury so early in the tournament. We wish him a speedy recovery, with the hope of seeing him in action very soon," said GT director of cricket Vikram Solanki in a press release.