The Indian Premier League (IPL) is back with its 16th edition this year and fans have much to look forward to. Every team will be gunning for the trophy as the Gujarat Titans look to defend their status as reigning champions.
However, the IPL isn't the only cricketing action fans are excited about this year. The ODI World Cup will take place in India from October 2023 onwards.
Many players will use the IPL as a platform to catch the attention of national team selectors and maintain their fitness. However, injuries are an unpredictable part of every sport and affect cricketers just as much.
One of the early victims of injury has been New Zealand captain Kane Williamson whose participation in the October tournament is now very much in doubt. It os shattering blow for New Zealand who were the finalists in the 2019 World Cup and missed out only by a whisker in a nail-biting final against England.
Their hopes of scripting a different climax this time around has been dealt a body blow by the news of Williamson's injury.
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Which star players are likely to miss the World Cup?
Before this year's IPL even began many players already had to back out of the tournament due to various injury problems they have been facing or had picked up during training.
While some of the players will largely be major absentees for their respective franchises, some such as Gujarat Titans (GT) batsman and New Zealand skipper Williamson, who injured his knee in the opening match, could also be major misses for their countries at the 2023 World Cup.
| Player | Country |
| Kane Williamson | New Zealand |
| Rishabh Pant | India |
| Jasprit Bumrah | India |
| Shreyas Iyer | India |
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How long will Williamson and the other players be out?
Williamson ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and severely injured his knee while preventing a boundary in GT's opening match. While he was able to prevent his team from conceding more runs, in the process he may have risked his participation for New Zealand at the upcoming World Cup.
Pant was subject to a horrific car crash in December 2022 and is still recovering from its consequences. While the worst is behind him he is still suffering from a torn ligament injury which will see him miss out on both the IPL and the World Test Championship (WTC) final on June 7 2023. There is much doubt if he will be back to fitness by the time the World Cup begins.
Similarly, highly-talented pace bowler Bumrah has been dealing with a constant back injury since September of last year. After some rehab, the issue continued to persist, and the medical team suggested the player undergo surgery to resolve it. As a result, he too will miss the IPL and WTC final, with India's selectors wishing he makes it in time for the World Cup.
Like Bumrah, Iyer too has been dealing with niggling back injuries and will have to undergo surgery. As a result, he is going to be out of action for the next four to five months, in the process missing the IPL and WTC final.
