WTC Final: 3 Players Who Can Replace Kane Williamson In The New Zealand Playing XI

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is unlikely to play the second Test match against England owing to an elbow injury, which is currently being monitored. New Zealand head coach Gary Stead on Tuesday said that Williamson’s elbow injury is currently being monitored and a decision on the skipper’s availability will be taken on Wednesday.

This comes ahead of the much-anticipated World Test Championship (WTC) final between New Zealand and India, starting June 18. The Kiwis would want their captain to be fit for the WTC final, which makes it highly likely that the world No. 1 Test batsman might miss out on the second Test against England.

In this case, the New Zealand squad will have to look for the best player available to take Kane Williamson’s spot in the huge event. In this article, we look at three individuals who might step in for Kane Williamson in New Zealand’s World Test Championship final XI.

1. Tom Blundell

Tom Blundell will be a best replacement for Kane Williamson in the WTC Final. The wicket-keeper batsman has played 8 matches in ICC World Test Championship and accumulated 402 runs in 13 innings along with 1 century and 2 half-centuries.

He made a blistering Test debut against West Indies, smashing a century to announce his arrival in the longest format of the game. In his overall Test career, Blundell has smashed 538 runs in 16 innings at an average of 38.42, including 2 tons and 2 fifties.

The right-handed batsman also has a fine record against India, playing 2 Tests and scoring 117 runs in 4 innings at an average of 39 along with a half-century.

2. Will Young

Will Young made his Test debut against West Indies back in 2020. He has played 2 Tests in which he scored 48 runs in 2 innings at an average of 24. He don’t have much experience when it comes to international cricket but he has astonishing records in First-Class cricket.

In 85 FC matches, he has accumulated 5416 runs in 140 innings at an average of 42.64. He also has 12 centuries and 29 half-centuries to his name in his First-Class career. Well, these records would be enough to make him a strong contender to replace Kane Williamson in the ICC World Test Championship final against India.

3. Daryl Mitchell

The right-handed batsman played 3 Tests in the World Test Championship tournament, scoring 153 runs in 3 innings at an average of 76.50. He also smashed an amazing hundred against Pakistan earlier this year.

Talking about his overall Test career, the all-rounder has played 4 Test matches and has accumulated 226 runs in 4 innings at an average of 75.33. He also has 1 century and 1 half-century to his name in his Test career. Considering, the stats of the right-handed batsman, one can not deny the fact that Daryl Mitchell is another great option to replace Kane Williamson in the playing XI.