Kane Williamson Retirement News: Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has retired from international cricket. He took this decision in the middle of the Test series against England. He retired as the country’s top scorer with 19,346 runs.
London: A shocking news has come for cricket fans. Great New Zealand cricketer and former captain Kane Williamson has suddenly retired from international cricket. 35-year-old Williamson made this announcement in the middle of the ongoing Test series against England. He told that the first Test match held at Lord’s was the last international match of his career.
The second Test against England is to start from the 17th, and just before that his announcement of retirement shocked even his teammates. Williamson finished his career as the highest run scorer for New Zealand.
Williamson said, “I have been thinking about this decision for some time. But in the last few days, I have become completely convinced that this is the right time. I am satisfied that I have given my 100% in every match played for New Zealand and with this satisfaction I am saying goodbye to cricket.”
Williamson made his debut in the Test match against India in 2010. In his 16-year long career, he scored 9515 runs in 110 Tests, 7257 runs in 175 ODIs and 2575 runs in 90 T20 matches. He has 33 centuries to his name in Tests and 15 centuries in ODIs. Overall, he scored 19,346 runs in 378 matches and retired as the highest run-scorer in New Zealand cricket history.
Williamson was not only a batsman but also known for his calm nature and sportsmanship. He won the hearts of cricket fans all over the world. As a captain, he led New Zealand to its first World Test Championship title in 2021. The Kiwi team had defeated India in the final. Apart from this, under his captaincy the team also reached the finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2021 T20 World Cup. Williamson was chosen ‘Player of the Tournament’ in the 2019 World Cup. He was also an important part of the New Zealand team that finished runner-up in the 2015 ODI World Cup and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
In IPL, Williamson was a reliable batsman for teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans. The New Zealand Cricket Board has said that Williamson’s replacement for the remaining matches of the Test series against England will be announced soon.