Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 has been hit with some bad news right before it's even begun. The tenth edition of the tournament is set to kick off on April 11, but one of its big-name players is going to be sidelined for the first half. New Zealand legend Kane Williamson who signed with Karachi Kings (KK) after surprisingly going unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction, had decided to take on a PSL contract.
Kane Williamson to miss the first half of PSL 2025
Unfortunately for Karachi Kings and their fans, Williamson, who is currently part of IPL 2025 commentary panel, has picked up a quad injury. This means Kane Williamson have to sit out the first five matches of the PSL 2025 season. The good news for KK supporters is that he's expected to join the team before their sixth match, which is against the Quetta Gladiators in Lahore. This confirmation comes straight from KK owner Salman Iqbal himself.
Interestingly, Williamson, who was also part of Sunrisers Hyderabad's IPL 2016 title-winning campaign, sustained this injury during the Champions Trophy Final against India. Since not getting picked up in the IPL auction in Jeddah, he's been working as a commentator in the ongoing IPL season.
"South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen drafted by Islamabad United in Supplementary category and New Zealand duo Mark Chapman and Kane Williamson selected in the Platinum and Supplementary categories, respectively will also be unavailable for a few matches to Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings," a PSL statement said.
Karachi Kings' full squad for PSL 2025
David Warner (captain), Abbas Afridi and Adam Milne (all platinum), James Vince, Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah (all diamond), Shan Masood, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Aamir Jamal (all gold), Arafat Minhas (brand ambassador), Tim Seifert, Zahid Mahmood, Litton Das and Mir Hamza (all silver), Fawad Ali and Riazullah (both emerging), Omair Bin Yousuf, Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi and Mirza Mamoon (all supplementary).
Besides Williamson there are more players who will miss the PSL 2025 action. Peshawar Zalmi has brought in George Linde as a replacement for Corbin Bosch for the 2025 season. Linde has been making waves in franchise cricket lately, especially after his impressive performances in the SA20 for MI Cape Town, and he's even been picked up by the Trent Rockets for the Hundred. The reason for the change? Well, even though Zalmi had signed Bosch, the Mumbai Indians snagged him as a replacement player for the IPL 2025.
For Peshawar Zalmi, Linde will fill a crucial gap – they were really missing a quality left-arm spinner after the draft. Meanwhile, Islamabad United has also made a signing, bringing in Alex Carey as a partial replacement for Rassie van der Dussen, who is set to miss a portion of the tournament. Mark Chapman will also be unavailable for the PSG 2025.
It will be the very first time that the Pakistan Super League will overlap with the Indian Premier League. The PSL 2025 is set to begin on April 11th in Karachi, and the final showdown is scheduled to take place on May 18th.