Kane Williamson likely to play match against South Africa in ODI World Cup 2023

Kane Williamson has been out of the ODI World Cup 2023, due to a  thumb injury he only played one match in the marquee tournament against Bangladesh, in that match he was injured while taking a run, a fielder threw the ball toward the stumps which missed the stumps and hit on the thumb of his left glove. The Kiwis have lost two matches so far in the tournament against India. 

Ahead of the match against South Africa, he is likely to be return and part of the the squad. His return will be a key for the side, he is back in the nets and batting ahead of the game and has been making a good recovery. This is an encouraging sign for the Kiwi fans as they can expect their regular skipper to be back in the squad in an important clash against the Proteas. 

New Zealand will be up against one of the most formidable sides in the ODI World Cup 2023. Kiwis almost chased a mammoth target of 389 runs against Australia at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala. Rachin Ravindra scored another century in the tournament. Jimmy Neesham's half-century went in vain as he was out at the end and they lost by five runs. 

He had a light training session, but he’ll be practicing on Monday: Gary Stead

Head Coach Gary Stead, "He had a light training session, but he’ll be practicing on Monday and the following day, aiming to be ready for the game. Whether he plays depends on how well he progresses in the next few days." Stead gave an update about pacer Lockie Ferguson, who had an Achilles injury during the match against Australia. He said, "Ferguson woke up feeling somewhat better than before, but he’ll undergo a scan tomorrow in Pune. We’re optimistic that it might only take about a week for him to return to play. It’s an issue he’s dealt with before, but unfortunately, it’s flared up again, and the timing isn’t ideal for him."