Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Kane Williamson retired hurt while batting in the second T20I versus Pakistan in Hamilton on Sunday, January 14 after the New Zealand captain felt tightness in his right hamstring. He did not come back to the field as Tim Southee led the team for the rest of the match.

When he was batting on 26 off 15, with three fours and a six, the team physio attended him in the tenth over of the first innings. Meanwhile, he left during the drinks break as Daryl Mitchell came out to bat in his place.

The 33-year-old has seen a slew of injuries in recent times. He sustained an ACL injury during the opening game of the 2023 Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad and recuperated until as late as the ICC Cricket World Cup in India in October-November.

His thumb was broken during the World Cup match against Bangladesh in Chennai which forced him to sit out for the next four games. He was included in the squad for the home T20I series against Bangladesh in December 2023 but later withdrawn from the tournament following ‘medical advice’. In addition, he was part of the first and last two T20Is against Pakistan and was to sit out of the third game in Dunedin as he wanted to oversee his knee injury.

New Zealand beat Pakistan by 21 runs in Hamilton, takes 2-0 lead

New Zealand extended their winning streak, outplaying Pakistan by 21 runs in the second T20I contested at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The hosts are now leading the series 2-0, having previously won the opening game in Auckland by 46 runs.

Speaking of the high-octane clash, the BalckCaps posted a formidable total of 194 after being put to bat first. Finn Allen was the attention grabber, scoring 74 in a mere 41 deliveries before stitching a 59-run opening partnership with Devon Conway (20). Pakistan’s Harid Rauf and Abbas Afridi continued their form and bagged three and two wickets, respectively.

Pakistan made the worst possible start during the chase, losing the wickets of openers Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan inside the first two overs. Babar Azam attempted to rescue Pakistan this time as well with a second consecutive half-century while also building a crucial partnership with Fakhar Zaman who also scored a fifty. However, the former Pakistan skipper fell in the 18th over for 66 (43) leaving his side reeling at 153/7. Adam Milne and Tim Southee together collected three wickets as Pakistan were restricted at 173 with three balls remaining.