The West Indies opening batter, Brandon King, will miss the rest of the T20 World Cup 2024 due to a side strain he suffered during a match against England on June 19. Kyle Mayers will replace King in the squad for the remainder of the tournament, joining the team on Saturday.
King had smashed 23 runs off 12 balls in the match against England before getting injured while trying to hit a boundary. He had to retire hurt and did not field during the run-chase. Despite his absence, Mayers is expected to strengthen the team with his all-round abilities, having scored runs and taken wickets in T20 matches this year.
The ICC approved Mayers as a replacement for King, who was the team’s leading run-scorer in T20Is since 2023. Mayers, a left-handed batter with 37 T20Is under his belt, had a strong year in 2024 with both bat and ball. Despite a successful group stage, West Indies started the Super Eight with a loss. King’s absence will be felt by the team as they aim to bounce back from their recent defeat.
The team will face South Africa next in the tournament, looking to get back to winning ways after a setback in the Super Eight stage. With Mayers joining forces with other talented players on the team such as Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, West Indies has an opportunity to make up for their earlier losses and showcase their skills on the international stage once again.
Overall, Brandon King’s injury is unfortunate for him and his teammates but Kyle Mayers’ inclusion is expected to bring more depth and versatility to their batting lineup. The tournament continues and it’ll be interesting to see how they perform without King but hopefully they can still win it all!