Kane Williamson is in line to return for New Zealand's upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup clash against Bangladesh

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is all set to make his first appearance at the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup after progressing along expected lines from his injury. He was absent from the playing XI in the Blackcaps' set of wins over England and the Netherlands after featuring as a pure batter in the warm-up matches.

Williamson sustained a serious knee injury while fielding in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) opener between the Gujarat Titans and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He made it to New Zealand's final ODI World Cup squad after making good progress during his rehabilitation process over the last few months.

Kiwi head coach Gary Stead stated that everything is 'looking good' for Williamson's return to the playing XI.

“At this stage, all things are looking good for Kane's return in this game – but we still say that with an air of caution. He's been progressing very very well," he said.

“He’s had a great five or six last days, really ramped up the fielding aspect of things – that's the key thing for Kane at the moment, it's not about his injury so much, it's his ability to run between the wickets and field and to consistently do that over a 50-over game. But we're delighted where he's at - we've got two more trainings to get through,” Stead added.

Kane Williamson scored a set of fifties in New Zealand's warm-up wins over Pakistan and South Africa, and looked in sublime touch despite not playing for several months.

WIlliamson's return will certainly lead to a selection headache, with the makeshift top order of Devon Conway, Will Young, and Rachin Ravindra all among the runs in the tournament so far.

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New Zealand pacer Tim Southee is also in contention for selection against Bangladesh

Apart from Kane Williamson, New Zealand will also have the luxury of potentially including Tim Southee in their playing XI against Bangladesh. The senior pacer sustained a fracture to his thumb during the tour of England last month, forcing him to sit out the opening set of matches in the ODI World Cup.

In fact, New Zealand only had 12 players to choose from in their tournament opener against England. The likes of Williamson, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, and Southee were not considered for selection due to injury concerns.

Tom Latham has led the side to consecutive wins in the league stage of the ODI World Cup so far. The Blackcaps currently sit at the top of the table with four points and a healthy net run rate of +1.958.

New Zealand will face Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.