New Zealand’s star batter Kane Williamson retires from T20 internationals

New Zealand’s star batter Kane Williamson has announced his retirement from Twenty20 internationals, marking the end of a distinguished chapter in his career in the shortest format of the game.

Williamson steps away as New Zealand’s second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, having accumulated 2,575 runs from 93 matches at an average of 33.4. His record includes 18 half-centuries and several match-winning performances for the Black Caps.

During his tenure as captain, Williamson led New Zealand to the final of the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he scored 85 runs in a losing effort against Australia. Under his leadership, the team also reached the semi-finals in 2016 and 2022.

The 35-year-old had already stepped down as captain in both white-ball formats after signing a flexible contract with New Zealand Cricket, allowing him to manage his workload and availability.

He recently confirmed plans to scale back his international commitments to spend more time with his family and participate in global T20 leagues.

Williamson will not take part in the upcoming T20 and ODI home series against the West Indies but will be available for the three-match Test series in December. He currently holds New Zealand’s record for the most Test runs, with 9,276 to his name.