New Delhi: West Indies opener Brandon King is ruled out of the rest of the T20 World Cup 2024 due to a side strain that he sustained during West Indies’ Super Eight clash against England on June 19. Left-handed opener Kyle Mayers has been called as King’s replacement in the Windies squad for the rest of the tournament. He will likely link up with the squad on Saturday.
England had invited the co-hosts to bat first in Gros Islet as King smashed 23 off just 12 balls, which included a 101-metre maximum off Reece Topley in the third over. But… on the 13th ball that he faced, he tried to charge down the track to smash Sam Curran through cover but injured himself. He received treatment from the medical support but failed to carry on and retired hurt on 23 as West Indies lost the game by eight wickets, their first loss of the marquee event.
King also didn’t come out to the field during the English run-chase with Shimron Hetmyer filling in for him. He travelled to Barbados for the side’s next fixture against the USA on Friday but failed to pull through, awaiting the results of the MRI scans.
“The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has approved left-handed batter Kyle Mayers as a replacement for Brandon King in the West Indies squad. Mayers, who has played 37 T20Is, was named as a replacement after King was ruled out due to a side strain. Mayers is expected to join the squad on Saturday,” an ICC release read.
King in T20 World Cup 2024
King’s absence might haunt the West Indies setup as he has been the team’s leading run-scorer in T20Is since the start of 2023, with 651 runs in 23 innings, which includes four half-centuries. He was also the highest run-scorer in their 3-0 T20I series win over South Africa in the build-up to the tournament. The 29-year-old didn’t set the T20 World Cup on fire though as he managed just 86 runs in five innings with a highest score of 34 against Papua New Guinea.
Meanwhile, Mayers has finally got his chance but indeed at a bitter cost. He was sidelined when the West Indies picked their squad for the event, despite having done well in 2024. In 11 T20 games this year, the southpaw has scored 367 runs, striking at 155.50. He has also picked nine wickets with his handy medium pace.
West Indies won their four group-stage fixtures in succession but started the Super Eight with a loss. After their fixture against the USA on Friday, they will play South Africa in Antigua on Sunday.
A side strain to Brandon King has ruled him out of the West Indies campaign from the T20 World Cup 2024 and Kyle Mayers has been approved as his replacement for the road further. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
