IPL 2023: 3 Possible Replacement Options for Kane Williamson at GT

In what comes as a huge blow to the Gujarat Titans, Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the entire IPL 2023 due to a knee injury he suffered in the first game of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League. The unfortunate incident occurred on the third delivery of the 13th over when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener Ruturaj Gaikwad pulled a short ball by Gujarat’s left-arm pacer Josh Little to Williamson at deep square leg. While trying to pull off a sensational grab on the boundary ropes, Williamson almost completed the catch but somehow the ball popped out of his hand.

As soon as he landed on the ground, he was seen in discomfort after a bad landing. Gujarat’s medical team came to check on him and then was carried to the dressing room by the support staff on Friday. Because of injury he didn’t arrive to bat in the contest and was substituted by the left-handed batter B Sai Sudharsan via the Impact Player rule.

Williamson, who was bought at his base price of INR 2 crore at the IPL 2023 auction, has a great record in the cash-rich league. In the 77 IPL games played, Williamson has scored 2,101 at an average and a strike rate of 36.22 and 126.03, respectively. His absence will hurt GT considering the quality player he is. GT’s wicket-keeper batter Matthew Wade, who sat out in the first game, is most likely to replace him in the playing XI. If GT seeks a replacement player then let’s have a look at the options they can consider to replace Williamson.

Here Are the Top 3 Options GT Could Choose to Replace Injured Kane Williamson:

3) Rassie van der Dussen

Having made his mark in the international arena across formats for South Africa, Rassie has failed to replicate the same in the toughest T20 league in the world. Which is why he was released by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2023. Rassie couldn’t deliver with the bat in the last season of the IPL, scoring only 22 runs in 3 games at an average of a mere 11 and a below-par strike rate of 91.67.

Similar to Williamson, Rassie is a seasoned campaigner who can play the sheet anchor role to perfection, and also if required he can explode while batting in the middle order. He is vastly experienced in South African domestic cricket and got all the different gears to his game. Van der Dussen could play Williamson’s role to perfection. Gujarat could acquire the services of the Proteas’ all-format batter for the remainder of the season. He may not start in the playing XI with Wade being there but could be a brilliant backup option.

2) Dasun Shanaka

Sri Lanka’s white-ball skipper Dasun Shanaka is yet to make an appearance in the toughest T20 league. It’s surprising that Shanaka hasn’t made his IPL debut, despite being around the scene for a long time now. His performances for Sri Lanka have been nothing but brilliant. The seam-bowling all-rounder is an experienced T20 campaigner and has a great record playing the format in India.

At the base price of INR 50 lakhs, Shanaka went unsold at the IPL 2023 auction last year. A powerful striker of the cricket ball, and a decent seam bowling option, Shanaka can strengthen RCB’s lower middle order and can also chip in with the ball. The Lankan skipper is yet to play in the IPL and his current form calls for his participation in the toughest T20 league as a replacement for Jacks at RCB. GT can play Vijay Shankar at 3, which he has done in the past as well in his IPL career.  Hardik Pandya at 4 and then Shanaka can play the finisher’s role with Rahul Tewatia.

1) Jason Roy

Last year, Jason Roy was one of Gujarat’s marquee signings at the mega auction. Even before the start of the season, he pulled out of the IPL 2022 citing bubble fatigue as a reason. In the IPL, Roy had earlier represented Gujarat Lions (2017), Delhi Daredevils (2018), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2021). The right-handed opener has a total of 329 IPL runs in 13 matches at an average of 29.90 and a strike rate of 129.01. These numbers don’t do justice to Roy’s ability. Despite being a fantastic T20 player, he has failed to deliver in the IPL. While there are reasons for his poor performance, he needs to work on his game to make an impact in the tournament.

Widely regarded as one of the best openers in the world, Roy has shown that he has got all the tools in his kit to accumulate runs. His current run of form with the bat pushes his case and makes him a frontrunner to replace Williamson. Having registered himself in the auction, he failed to attract buyers, but given his familiarity with the Indian Premier League and also considering that he was in GT’s plans last year, Roy could be a viable option for RCB.