New Zealand's leading international run-scorer Kane Williamson has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, bringing the curtain down on a career that spanned 16 years and 378 matches across formats.
Williamson's retirement comes midway through New Zealand's Test series in England, meaning he will take no further part on the tour. A replacement player is expected to be named in due course.
Williamson, 35, finishes as New Zealand's highest run-scorer in international cricket with 19,346 runs, including 48 centuries and six double-centuries. He is also the country's leading run-scorer and century-maker in Test cricket, having scored 9,515 runs and 33 hundreds in 110 matches.
An era ends as Kane Williamson retires
Having made his international debut in 2010, Williamson went on to become one of New Zealand's most influential players and captains. He led the side across all three formats between 2016 and 2024, overseeing one of the most successful periods in the team's history.
Under his captaincy, New Zealand reached the finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2021 T20 World Cup, and the semi-finals of the 2016 and 2022 T20 World Cups, as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup. He also captained New Zealand to victory in the inaugural World Test Championship final against India in 2021.
Williamson had already stepped away from T20I cricket in November after refusing a national contract in June 2024, reducing his availability for the national team. In a statement, he said the decision to retire fully from the international game had become clear in recent days.
"I've thought about it for a while, but over the last few days it's become clear now is the right time," Williamson said. "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. 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."
Williamson's career was marked by consistency across formats. He finishes with the highest Test batting average among New Zealand players with at least 20 matches, averaging 54.06. In ODIs, he scored 7,256 runs at 48.69, the second-highest average among New Zealand batters with at least 20 innings, while he also finished as the country's second-highest run-scorer in T20Is with 2,575 runs.
He was also New Zealand's representative in the Fab Four, the group of leading batters of his era alongside Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Steven Smith.
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