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Following a side strain he sustained during Wednesday night’s West Indies versus England encounter in St Lucia, Brandon King is questionable for the remainder of the T20 World Cup.
King got the West Indies off to a great start, racing to 23 off 12 balls, including a massive six from Reece Topley that went past the midwicket boundary with the wind and required a replacement ball.
However, he was hurt when he sprinted down the pitch in an effort to knock Sam Curran through cover while facing his thirteenth ball. King proceeded one step further before collapsing and being forced to withdraw injured, following treatment by a medical staff member from the West Indies.
Cricket West Indies reported he had been diagnosed with a side strain. Shimron Hetmyer replaced him as a substitute fielder during England’s run chase, and he did not field. “Brandon King has suffered a side strain and will not return to the pitch in this evening’s match,” CWI reported.
With just 10 days left in the World Cup, King is very doubtful for the remainder of the competition due to side strains, which often take several weeks to fully heal. King’s injury, according to Captain Rovman Powell, is a “worrying” omen for his team.
With a top score of 34, King has not been at his best yet, but losing a veteran who filled in as captain against South Africa last month while Powell was at the IPL would be a big loss.
Five players from the West Indies—Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh Jr., and Matthew Forde—are on standby for the World Cup. Since Mayers was mostly regarded as unfortunate to miss the first cut, he is the most likely replacement, while Fletcher is also a strong candidate as a top-order batter.
“Yes, a little bit worrying but hopefully he can pull through for the next game,” Powell said after England cruised past West Indies. “We know how important a player he is for us.”