Watch: Kane Williamson retires from international cricket with immediate effect

The former captain of the New Zealand side, Kane Williamson, has retired from international cricket with immediate effect through the ongoing three-match series in England, as it brought an end to a career that began 16 years ago in 2010. The 35-year-old made a duck and 18 runs in their defeat in the first Test at Lord’s.

Williamson has decided not to play the next fixtures at the Kennington Oval and Trent Bridge. He hasn’t been centrally contracted with the NZC since June 2024, as it preferred to play select particular international series amid his T20 franchise commitments in the fag end of his career.

Why did Kane Williamson retire? His statement in full — “Now is the right time”

Kane Williamson finished as the highest run-scorer of the red-ball format for the Kiwis with 9515 runs at an average of 54.06 in 110 games. The pinnacle of his career was when he led the Blackcaps to victory in the very first World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2021, against India. 

Watch Kane Williamson's retirement statement here-

“I've thought about it for a while, but over the last few days it's become clear now is the right time. I've always felt a strong drive and hunger for international cricket, and I take pride in knowing I've given it my all in every match I've played for New Zealand. Continuing with anything less wouldn't be right, and I feel fortunate to step away on my own terms.” Williamson said in a NZC statement.

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“I leave feeling optimistic about where this group is heading. There's a huge amount of talent, and a real desire to do something special with this New Zealand team. It's a team I love, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of it for so long. It will continue to be dear to my heart.” He added.

Kane Williamson's career stats, records, and legacy

In ODI cricket, Williamson ended up as New Zealand’s fourth-leading run-getter. He smashed 7256 runs in 167 innings at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 81.59, with 15 centuries and 47 half-centuries at the best score of 148 runs against the South Africa side.

The veteran finished as the second-highest run-getter of the NZ side with 2575 runs in 90 innings at a strike rate of 123.08 with 18 fifties. He was the Player of the Tournament for the ODI World Cup 2019 when they ended as the runners-up after scoring 578 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 74.96 with two centuries and as many fifties.

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He captained the Blackcaps in 40 Tests (22 wins, 10 losses, and eight draws), 91 ODIs (46 wins, 40 losses, and one tie), and 75 T20Is (39 wins, 34 losses, and one tie). Under him, they reached the semifinals of the 2016 T20 World Cup, the final of the 2019 ODI WC and 2021 T20 WC, semifinals of the 2022 T20 WC and 2023 ODI WC, besides winning WTC 2019-2021 against India. 

Cricket world reacts to Kane Williamson's shock retirement

Here is how the cricket world reacted to Kane Williamson’s shocking retirement on social media platforms-