Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Nov 21: Kane Williamson won’t be available for New Zealand’s third and final T20I match against India on Tuesday, November 22 in Napier. Williamson won’t be able to play because of a medical appointment.
Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach, announced on Monday that Tim Southee will captain the team in the series finale. Mark Chapman has been recalled by New Zealand for the Napier finale.
“Kane’s been trying to get this booked in for a while now, but unfortunately it hasn’t been able to fit into our schedule,” said Stead.
Notably, India won the second Twenty20 International in Mount Maunganui by 65 runs on Sunday, taking a 1-0 series lead. Due to Friday’s rain, Wellington’s first Twenty20 match was postponed.
Chapman participated in the tri-series against Pakistan and Bangladesh at home as well as the T20 World Cup team for New Zealand.
In a three-match ODI series against India that begins on Friday in Auckland, Williamson will return to captain New Zealand. Before their matches against India led by Shikhar Dhawan, he will reunite with the team in the city.
In the second T20I, the hosts fell far short of their goal of 192 runs, and the New Zealand captain found it difficult to get going. Williamson scored 61 but only after 52 Mount Maunganui deliveries. Williamson’s colleagues didn’t do much to help as India’s bowlers, headed by a determined Yuzvendra Chahal, kept things close.
Suryakumar Yadav, who played for India, stole the show by scoring 111 runs in just 51 balls while destroying the New Zealand bowling lineup.
Kane Williamson’s position in the T20I team has come under scrutiny after he was criticised for his dismal strike rate during their T20 World Cup campaign. However, the illustrious batter has insisted that he would dearly want to play in all three formats for the BlackCaps.
