New Zealand batter Kane Williamson has officially announced his retirement from T20 Internationals, ending a distinguished chapter in his career. The 35-year-old, who represented the Blackcaps in 93 T20Is since his debut in 2011, amassed 2,575 runs at an average of 33.44 and a strike rate of 123.08, making him the country’s second-highest run-scorer in the format behind Martin Guptill.

Williamson led New Zealand in 75 matches, guiding them to T20 World Cup semi-finals in 2016 and 2022, and a final appearance in 2021. Announcing his decision, he said, “It’s something that I’ve loved being a part of for a long time. It’s the right moment for myself and the team. There’s so much young T20 talent, and it’s now their time to push the Blackcaps forward.”

Having not featured for New Zealand since their early exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup, Williamson explained that the move allows the team to plan clearly ahead of the next World Cup. He praised Mitchell Santner, who has taken over the white-ball captaincy, calling him a “brilliant leader” with a strong understanding of the game.

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Focus Shifts to Tests and ODIs as Williamson Enters Next Phase of His Career

Williamson will now focus on Test and ODI cricket, with his immediate target being the home Test series against West Indies starting December 2. He is expected to warm up with a Plunket Shield game for Northern Districts later this month.

New Zealand Cricket CEO Scott Weenink lauded Williamson’s contributions, saying, “Kane’s performances and leadership have been immense. His knock of 85 in the 2021 T20 World Cup final remains one of the finest by a New Zealander. He’s earned the right to decide when to finish his career.”

Head coach Rob Walter echoed the sentiment, calling Williamson “a magnificent team man” whose influence went far beyond runs and records. While Williamson steps away from international T20s, he will continue to play in franchise leagues around the world, balancing cricket with family time as he enters the next phase of his storied career.

New Zealand great Kane Williamson announced his retirement from T20 Internationals. The batter decided to wrap up his 93-game T20 International career. He signed off from the format as the second-highest run getter for his nation. Williamson retired from T20I only to focus on the upcoming Test series. The 35-year-old retires as New Zealand’s second-highest men’s T20I run-scorer with 2575 runs at an average of 33, including 18 50s and a highest score of 95.

The Tauranga-born made his T20I debut in 2011, then became the captain of the team. As the captain, he led the team in 75 T20I games. He was the leader of the Black Caps in multiple World Cups. Under his leadership, New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals of the 2016 & 2022 ICC T20 World Cups and the final of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. As he announced his retirement from the format, he will not participate in the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies.

The decision to take retirement from the format, after playing so many matches, was not easy for the cricketer himself. In an emotional statement, he felt that it is the right time to say good bye to the format, as there are too many talents who can represent the team. He mentioned the next T20I World Cup as well.

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 Retirement speech of Kane Williamson

"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," Williamson said in his retirement speech. 

"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. 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 BLACKCAPS forward in this format, and I’ll be supporting from afar." 

The T20I series between New Zealand and England has come to an end. It is now time for both teams to clash in the 3-match ODI series. The first ODI between NZ and ENG is scheduled to take place on Sunday at Bay Oval Stadium.

In the past, New Zealand has faced England 96 times, and surprisingly, both teams have won 45 ODIs each. These stats showcase a rivalry between the two teams. New Zealand has won twice and England has won 3 matches in the past 5 ODI matches between the two teams

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NZ vs ENG Match Details

• Match: New Zealand vs England, 1st ODI

• Date: 26th October 2025

• Time: 6.30 AM IST

• Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui 

• Live Streaming: FanCode

NZ vs ENG Weather Report

NZ vs ENG Pitch Report

The surface here will be good for batting with very short boundaries on either side. We can expect a high-scoring fixture, and both teams will prefer chasing.

Top Batters to Watch – NZ vs ENG

• Harry Brook (ENG): 98 runs in this Series 

• Sam Curran (ENG): 57 runs in this Series 

• Jacob Bethell (ENG): 39 runs in this Series 

Top Bowlers to Watch – NZ vs ENG

• Adil Rashid (ENG): 4 wickets in this Series 

• Kyle Jamieson (NZ): 3 wickets in this Series 

• Jacob Duffy (NZ): 2 wickets in this Series 

NZ vs ENG Recent Form

NZ vs ENG Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1: If NZ Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 50–60

• Predicted Total: 240–255

• Match Result: ENG to win

Scenario 2: If ENG Bat First

• Powerplay Score: 60–70

• Predicted Total: 270–290

• Match Result: ENG to win

Who Will Hit the Most Sixes?

Who Will Hit the Most Fours?

NZ vs ENG Predicted Playing XIs

England 

Harry Brook (c), Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Jos Buttler (wk), Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Luke Wood.

New Zealand 

Mitchell Santner (c), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.

NZ vs ENG Today Match Prediction – Who Will Win Today?

We predict that England will win the 1st ODI match. The likes of Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Sam Curran will be key players to watch out for.

NZ vs ENG Match FAQs

Q1. Where can I watch the NZ vs ENG live match?

You can watch the live streaming on the FanCode app and website.

Q2. Who will win today’s NZ vs ENG ODI match?

According to our today match prediction, England are favourites to win this encounter.

Q3. What is the head-to-head record between New Zealand and England in ODIs?

England holds the upper hand in last five ODI head-to-head meetings against New Zealand 

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have taken a clever and pragmatic step ahead of IPL 2026 by appointing New Zealand’s former captain, Kane Williamson, as the adviser for the team. Williamson, known for his calm mannerism and highly collected cricketing brain, is anticipated to help with the team's strategy, match preparation, and tactical decisions throughout the game. Williamson's experience in international cricket provides strong insight into how LSG can carve out advantages at crucial moments for LSG to gain an edge over its opponents.

With Rishabh Pant's captaincy, the team will be trying to create a mix of young talent and experience. Williamson will be another layer of guidance for the younger players to learn from, particularly in his batting style, leadership, and how to deal with pressure. Fans have expressed anticipation to see Williamson's impact on the tactical conversations, which may affect LSG's performance in a competitive environment that will be IPL 2026.

Williamson's support staff will also add to the team. Justin Langer operates as the head coach, Bharat Arun continues as bowling coach, and Lance Klusener operates as assistant coach. Collectively, they make for an extremely strong coaching panel, which should assist LSG with focused preparation, too, with in-game management decisions and team performance throughout the tournament. 

🚨 LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS 2026 🚨 [RevSportz]

Coach - Justin Langer
Strategic Adviser - Kane Williamson
Bowling Coach - Bharat Arun
Assistant Coach - Lance Klusener

Kane Williamson will bring lots of experience to the team led by Rishabh Pant. 👌 pic.twitter.com/2aPYJ8gzIc

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 16, 2025

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Williamson’s Role and Impact on LSG

Kane Williamson will be the adviser of the team, and his major contribution will come with regard to strategy and player development. He will work closely with Rishabh Pant with regard to game plans, opposition analytics, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses, and providing real-time support during matches. Due to Williamson's experience in international cricket tournaments, he will help to influence the young players and the team regarding calmness under pressure and decision-making in case of close match situations.

Off the field, Williamson is expected to assist in player development by mentoring the younger players on technique, mental toughness, and consistency. His role will see benefits across the team, for the present and going forward, along with LSG being a genuine title threat for IPL 2026.

Oval Invincible are the table-toppers of the tournament, winning five out of seven matches. However, they lost their last match by 16 runs against Northern Superchargers, failing to chase down the target of 199 runs.

On the other hand, London Spirit have secured three victories and currently stand in fifth position in the points table with 12 points. They defeated Southern Brave in their last match by 47 runs, successfully defended the target of 187 runs. 

OVI vs LNS Match Details

Date: 25th August, 2025

Time: 11:00 PM IST

Venue: Kennington Oval, London 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

OVI vs LNS Weather Report

Clear Sky 

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Top Batters OVI vs LNS

• Jordan Cox (OVI) - 280 runs in this tournament 

• Sam Curran (OVI) - 196 runs in this tournament 

• David Warner (LNS) - 190 runs this tournament 

Top Bowler OVI vs LNS

• Rashid Khan (OVI) - 12 wickets in this tournament

• Sam Curran (OVI)  - 11 wickets in this tournament 

• Jason Behrendorff (OVI) - 9 wickets in this tournament 

OVI vs LNS Recent Performance

OVI vs LNS Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If OVI bats first

• First Innings score prediction-OVI is expected to score 170-185 runs

• Result prediction- OVI will win the match by 10-20 Runs 

Scenario 2- If LNS bats first

• First Innings score prediction- LNS is expected to score 150-160 runs.

• Result prediction- OVI will win the match by 4 wickets 

OVI vs LNS Predicted Playing XI

Oval Invincible (OVI) Playing XI 

Will Jacks, Tawanda Muyeye, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Sam Billings (C & wk), Donovan Ferreira, Tom Curran, Rashid Khan, Jordan Clark, Nathan Sowter, Jason Behrendorff.

London Spirit (LNS) Playing XI

David Warner, Jamie Smith (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Ollie Pope, Ashton Turner, Sean Dickson, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Luke Wood, Richard Gleeson, Daniel Worrall..

OVI vs LNS Complete Squad

Oval Invincible - 

Sam Billings (captain), Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Will Jacks, Rashid Khan, Jordan Cox, Saqib Mahmood, Jason Behrendorff, Gus Atkinson, Donovan Ferreira, Nathan Sowter, Tawanda Muyeye, Miles Hammond, George Scrimshaw, Zafar Gohar.

London Spirit -

Kane Williamson (captain), Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, David Warner, Daniel Worrall, Richard Gleeson, Luke Wood, Olly Stone, Ashton Turner, Ollie Pope, Jafer Chohan, Keaton Jennings, Wayne Madsen, Sean Dickson, Ryan Higgins.

OVI vs LNS Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

Oval Invincible To win

We predict that Oval Invincible will win this Hundred Men's match. Will Jacks, Jordan Cox and Sam Curran will be key players to watch out for.

In the 26th match of The Hundred 2025, London Spirit took on Southern Brave at Lord’s. Southern Brave captain James Vince won the toss and decided to bowl first. Both teams made one change. Chris Jordan missed out for the Brave, with Jordan Thompson coming in, while Spirit brought in Jafer Chohan for Daniel Worral.

David Warner and Jamie Smith gave Spirit a flying start, adding 66 runs for the first wicket. Warner made 25, while Smith smashed a quick 44 off just 18 balls with four fours and three sixes. Kane Williamson kept the momentum going with a classy 53 from 28 balls. In the end, Jamie Overton’s 16 from runs in 7 balls pushed them to 186/4.

The chase never really clicked for the Brave. They lost both openers, Vince and Leus du Plooy, with only 16 on the board. Jason Roy tried to fight back with 37 off 23 balls, and Laurie Evans also hit 37 from 21, but the rest of the batting fell apart. Southern Brave were bowled out for 139 in 92 balls, giving London Spirit a 47-run win. Richard Gleeson and Liam Dawson were the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets each.
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Former New Zealand skipper, Kane Williamson is playing The Hundred league for London Spirit. The 2025 edition of the league is his debut season and he is leading the side too. Under his captaincy, London Spirit have played four games and have won two of them. After losing their third game to Manchester Originals, they come up with a win in the latest game against Trent Rockets.

After The Hundred game, Williamson was in conversation with the presenters and was discussing about the game. Just after conversation, Williamson shook hands with former India player Dinesh Karthik, who was one among the broadcasters. He then extended his hand towards the female presenter but the latter’s both hands were occupied by broadcasting props and he left away leaving the handshake.

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Here’s the video of the incident

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by For The Love of Cricket (@loveofcricketpod)

London Spirit Squad:

David Warner, Kane Williamson(c), Jamie Smith(w), Ashton Turner, Sean Dickson, Ollie Pope, Liam Dawson, Olly Stone, Richard Gleeson, Jafer Chohan, Keaton Jennings, Luke Wood, Daniel Worrall, Wayne Madsen, Ryan Higgins

In the ninth match of The Hundred 2025 at Old Trafford, Manchester Originals finally got their first win of the season, defeating London Spirit by 10 runs. The home side had lost their first two games, while London came in after a win in their last match.

Manchester won the toss and chose to bat. Ben McKinney gave them a flying start with 29 runs off 12 balls, hitting two fours and three sixes. Jos Buttler scored 46 from 37 balls, and Phil Salt made 31 from 20. Lewis George added a quick 10 off 5 balls, taking the total to 163/5. Olly Stone and Jamie Overton took two wickets each for London.

Chasing 164, London had a slow start as David Warner and Kane Williamson struggled early. Williamson made 19 off 20 balls, while Warner fought hard with 71 off 51 balls, hitting 12 fours and a six. Jamie Overton’s quick 19 off 7 balls wasn’t enough, and London fell short by 10 runs.

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The sixth match of The Hundred 2025 was between Welsh Fire and London Spirit at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Both teams had lost their first game. Welsh Fire kept the same team, while London brought in England keeper-batter Jamie Smith. Welsh Fire captain Tom Abell won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping the pitch would be better for batting later.

London captain Kane Williamson made 14 runs from 14 balls, but David Warner batted through the innings. He scored 70 not out from 45 balls with eight fours and two sixes. Jamie Smith hit a quick 26 from 14 balls, and Ashton Turner added 24 from 14. These efforts helped London reach 163/5. Josh Hull took two wickets for Welsh Fire.

Welsh Fire had a poor start, falling to 55/6 in less than half their innings. Jonny Bairstow fought hard, hitting 86 not out from 50 balls with six fours and five sixes. Chris Green scored 32, but they still fell short.

London’s bowlers kept calm in the final overs to win by eight runs. Richard Gleeson and Liam Dawson both bowled well, giving away only 25 runs each in their sets. This gave London Spirit their first win of the season.

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Oval Invincibles made a perfect start to their hunt for a third straight men’s Hundred title, beating London Spirit by six wickets at Lord’s. Spirit had a night to forget, bowled out for just 80 runs in 94 balls their second‑lowest score in the tournament’s history. Star batters David Warner and Kane Williamson, both making their Hundred debuts, could only manage 9 runs each. The rest of the batting line‑up also struggled as Invincibles’ bowlers took control.

Oval Invincibles thrash London Spirit in opening men’s Hundred match

Afghan star Rashid Khan, playing his first match for Invincibles, was the pick of the bowlers. He spun his way to brilliant figures of 3 wickets for just 11 runs. England all‑rounder Sam Curran was just as effective, taking 3 for 18 with clever slower balls that kept Spirit guessing.

Nothing clicked for London Spirit with the bat; Oval Invincibles ran the show 👏

Scorecard 🔗 https://t.co/QC9QT9bWyu pic.twitter.com/9FEkoZT82g

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 5, 2025

Chasing only 81 to win, Invincibles never looked in trouble. Openers Will Jacks (24 from 24 balls) and Tawanda Muyeye (18 from 20) gave them a steady start. Both fell to left‑arm spinner Liam Dawson, who bowled well for Spirit, taking 2 for 9 in his 20 balls. Dan Worrall and Ashton Turner picked up a wicket each, but the game was already in Invincibles’ control. Even a fox running onto the field briefly could not hold up their march to victory.

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The winning runs came with plenty of balls to spare, sealing an easy win for the defending champions. This was a clear statement from Invincibles that they mean business again this year, while Spirit will need to regroup quickly if they want to compete.