Kane Williamson leaves New Zealand Cricket on the brink of ICC T20 World Cup 2026

New Zealand icon Kane Williamson has announced his retirement from T20 Internationals, ending a glorious chapter in the shortest format just four months before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. However, Kane Williamson will continue his journey in Tests and ODIs.

His focus is now on the three-match Test series against the West Indies, starting December 2 in Christchurch. On Sunday, November 2, Williamson called time on his T20I career after representing the Black Caps in 93 matches, scoring 2,575 runs at an average of 33, including 18 half-centuries.

Kane Williamson retires from T20Is ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Over his remarkable T20I journey since 2011, Williamson led New Zealand in 75 games. He also captained New Zealand to two ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals (2016 and 2022) and a final appearance in 2021, where they lost the title to Australia.

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Kane Williamson said in an official statement, "It's something that I've loved being a part of for a long period of time, and I'm so grateful for the memories and experiences. It's the right time for me and the team. It gives the team clarity for the series moving forward and ahead of their next major focus, which is the T20 World Cup. There's so much T20 talent there, and the next period will be important to get cricket into these guys and get them ready for the World Cup.”

Williamson, who is known for his calm leadership and unmatched consistency, had already handed over the white-ball captaincy to Mitchell Santner after New Zealand’s early exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup. Notably, Tom Latham is leading the Kiwis in the Test cricket.

Kane Williamson backs Mitchell Santner to lead New Zealand’s next T20 era

The Kiwi superstar further added, “Mitch is a brilliant captain and leader; he's really come into his own with this team. It's now their time to push the Black Caps forward in this format, and I'll be supporting from afar.”

The former captain has expressed his deep love for the Black Caps, calling the team a special part of his life. He said playing for New Zealand has been a meaningful journey that has helped him give his best both as a player and as a leader. Williamson also shared that he will stay in touch with the team management and continue supporting New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

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In recent months, New Zealand’s modern-era legend has balanced national duties with franchise commitments and family life. Injuries and workload management kept him out of the Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia and the T20Is against England.

However, he returned for the ODI series against England after recovering from a groin strain. Williamson’s next outing will likely be for Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield clash against Auckland on November 26.

NZC CEO Scott Weenink hails Kane Williamson’s legacy

Meanwhile, NZC CEO Scott Weenink has showered high praise on Williamson, hailing his contribution to the game as truly remarkable.

Weenink described Kane Williamson’s impact on New Zealand cricket as massive, both as a world-class batsman and as an inspiring leader who guided the team with calmness and integrity.

He emphasized that Williamson’s consistency across all formats has made him one of the most respected players in the world.

Weenink also made it clear that the NZC will fully support Kane Williamson as he approaches the final phase of his career, giving him complete freedom to decide when to end his journey in ODIs and Tests.

Scott Weenink further noted, “We've made it clear to Kane he has our full support as he reaches the back end of his illustrious career. We would, of course, love to see him play for as long as possible, but there's no doubt whenever he does decide to finally call time, he will go down as a legend of New Zealand cricket.”