Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has announced his retirement from T20 internationals as he seeks to prioritise Test cricket.
Williamson’s decision was confirmed ahead of New Zealand’s five-match T20I series with West Indies, which begins in Auckland on Tuesday, and also comes just a few months before the T20 World Cup, which begins in February.
While the 35-year-old has not ended his 50-over career, he is also going to sit out the three one-day internationals against the West Indies that follow the T20 series to prepare for three Tests against the same opposition in December.
Williamson retires from the international game’s shortest format as New Zealand’s second-highest T20I scorer with 2,575 runs at an average of 33, including 18 half-centuries and a top score of 95.
“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,” Williamson said.
“It’s the right time for myself 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.
“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.
After making his T20I debut in 2011, Williamson captained the Black Caps on 75 occasions, leading them to two World Cup semi-finals and a final in 2021.
Williamson is backing Mitch Santner, who took over the captaincy in late 2024, to successfully lead the team into the future.
“Mitch is a brilliant captain and leader – he’s really come into his own with this team,” Williamson added.
“It’s now their time to push the Black Caps forward in this format and I’ll be supporting from afar.”
Williamson will continue to play the shortest format in franchise cricket, meaning he could feature in The Hundred next summer having made his debut in the competition for London Spirit earlier this year.
