Williamson hopes to return to the World Cup for New Zealand.

 The 33-year-old appeared to have been eliminated from contention for the championship game after tearing the cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing for IPL team Gujarat Titans in April.

Kane Williamson's motivation to complete his rehabilitation has been to captain New Zealand in India, less than six months after knee surgery threatened to keep him from competing in the ODI World Cup.

The 33-year-old appeared to have been eliminated from contention for the championship match after tearing the cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April.

Nevertheless, diligent rehab work has resulted in a quick recovery.

In a rematch of their close loss in the 2019 final, Williamson expects to be fit for the Black Caps' opening match against the reigning champions, England, on October 5.

It would be wonderful. Naturally, you want to return to playing as soon as you are well and ready," he remarked.

You hope it happens to be around the World Cup, but I'm still extremely focused on my day-to-day recovery and don't want those targets to push me too far and cause me to regress.

Williamson has already resumed hitting in the cages, demonstrating that his injured knee is functional.

"For running, it's not quite 100 percent, but it's making good progress," he continued.

Williamson's return to play is not scheduled, according to Black Caps coach Gary Stead.

But having him back will be a tremendous help. With centuries against South Africa and the West Indies, he led New Zealand to the verge of winning the 2019 tournament and was named player of the year.

Williamson, who has amassed more than 6,500 runs in ODI cricket, is fervently hoping to play in his fourth World Cup, and he acknowledges that the thought "keeps you in the gym every day and working hard."

It has been quite encouraging to observe the development and to keep making small strides in the right direction, he continued.

While England and Bangladesh trips served as pre-World Cup warm-ups for New Zealand, Williamson's injury has curtailed his preparations.

He is not particularly worried, though.

It is obviously not ideal, but I didn't have much of a say in it. It's the only choice I have, and the thought of competing in another World Cup is incredibly exciting," he remarked.

"You always want to be a part of it, but I didn't want that to control how I became better. Having a carrot at the back of your mind at all times is beneficial.

The New Zealand captain admitted he had a strong desire to participate, but he would not hesitate to leave the team if the injury worsened.

I only want to be there if I can contribute something and am healthy and prepared to work," he stated.

Williamson, who returned after a protracted absence due to an elbow injury last year, is already familiar with being out.

"Working through injuries are part of the job, so being ready for whatever's next is the goal," he said.