Kane Williamson, the celebrated former captain of New Zealand, has officially announced his retirement from T20 International cricket. This significant decision marks the end of an era for the Black Caps in the shortest format of the game. Williamson, who has been a stalwart for New Zealand since his T20I debut in 2011, represented his country in 93 matches, captaining the side in 75 of them. His last T20I appearance was during the T20 World Cup last year. While stepping away from T20Is, Williamson has stated his intention to continue playing One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches for the foreseeable future. He mentioned that this move provides clarity to the national team’s selection strategy, especially with the upcoming T20 World Cup just three months away. Williamson expressed his gratitude for the experiences and memories gained throughout his T20I career, highlighting it was the ‘right time’ to transition. He believes this will allow emerging talent to gain crucial experience ahead of the global tournament. Williamson departs as New Zealand’s second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, with 2,575 runs at an average of 33.44. Under his captaincy, the Black Caps reached the semi-finals of the 2016 and 2022 T20 World Cups and the final in 2021. He will continue to participate in T20 franchise leagues and his next international commitment will be a Test series against the West Indies.
