Brandon King Doubtful for Rest of T20 World Cup with Side Strain

Brandon King's T20 World Cup campaign hangs in the balance after the West Indies opener suffered a side strain in their match against England. King, who has been a key player for the Windies, was forced to retire hurt after just 12 balls in the match.

The injury occurred while King was attempting to hit Sam Curran through cover. He took one step and then crumpled to the ground, clutching his side. He received treatment from the West Indies medical staff but was unable to continue batting.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that King had been diagnosed with a side strain. "Brandon King has suffered a side strain and will not return to the field of play in this evening's match," CWI said.

Side strains typically take several weeks to heal, making King a major doubt for the rest of the World Cup. The tournament ends in just 10 days, and the Windies have only one more match remaining in the Super Eight stage.

King's injury is a significant blow to the West Indies, who are already without several key players. Rovman Powell is still at the IPL, while Andre Russell and Obed McCoy have been ruled out of the tournament with injuries.

The Windies have five players on standby for the World Cup: Andre Fletcher, Kyle Mayers, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh Jr., and Matthew Forde. Mayers is the most likely replacement for King, having been widely considered unfortunate to miss the initial cut.

The West Indies will travel to Barbados on Thursday ahead of their second Super Eight fixture against USA at Kensington Oval on Friday. They will be hoping to bounce back from their defeat to England and keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

Tags: #BrandonKing, #T20WorldCup, #WestIndies, #Injury, #SideStrain