New Zealand vs India: Kane Williamson to miss 3rd T20I, Tim Southee to lead hosts in finale

New Zealand will miss their captain Kane Williamson for the 3rd and final T20I against India in Napier on Tuesday, November 22. Williamson is unavailable due to a medical appointment which he will compete.

Tim Southee will lead New Zealand in the series finale, New Zealand coach Gary Stead confirmed on Monday. New Zealand have called up Mark Chapman for the finale in Napier.

“Kane’s been trying to get this booked in for a while now, but unfortunately it hasn’t been able to fit into our schedule,” Stead said. “The health and well-being of our players and staff is paramount, and we look forward to seeing him in Auckland.”

Stead also confirmed that the medical appointment has nothing to do with Williamson’s troublesome elbow.

India lead the 3-match series 1-0 after winning the 2nd T20I in Mount Maunganui by 65 runs on Sunday. The first T20I in Wellington was washed out due to rain on Friday.

Chapman was part of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad and the tri-series at home against Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Williamson will be back to lead New Zealand in a 3-match ODI series against India, starting Friday in Auckland. He will rejoin the squad in the city ahead of their matches against a Shikhar Dhawan-led India.

The New Zealand skipper struggled to get going in the 2nd T20I as the hosts fell well short of a 192-run target. Williamson managed 61 but it came off 52 deliveries in Mount Maunganui. Williamson got very little support from the rest of his teammates as India bowlers, led by a spirited Yuzvendra Chahal, kept it tight.

For India, Suryakumar Yadav stole the show, hitting 111 not out in just 51 balls as he tore into the New Zealand bowling attack.

Questions have been asked of Kane Williamson’s place in the T20I side after he was criticised for poor strike rate in their T20 World Cup campaign. But the decorated batter has maintained that he would love to play all 3 formats for the BlackCaps.