Kane Williamson has been a strong pillar in the middle-order for New Zealand for a long time in his career.
Why is Kane Williamson not playing for New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2026? The answer is simple: He bid adieu to T20I cricket in November 2025 after representing New Zealand for 93 matches.
Ever since the New Zealand squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 has been announced, one question has been asked consistently – ‘Why is Kane Williamson not playing for New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2026?’ That being said, the former Kiwi skipper retired from T20I cricket in November 2025, and hence was not up for selection.
The 35-year-old was a great anchor in the middle overs, and averaged 33.44 in the shortest format with 18 fifties to his name. He stepped away from the format as he felt it was the right time for him to take the call, and also to spend time with his family.
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The former New Zealand skipper will continue to represent New Zealand in ODI and Test cricket, and is one of the players who is on a convenience contract with the board – which allows him to play matches as per his availability.
This call was taken in order to increase the scope of participation in franchise leagues around the globe, like The Hundred, which Williamson was actively a part of last season.
Though his impact in white-ball cricket has been limited, Kane Williamson will go down as one of the best Test batters in the world. His ability to play the ball right under the eye translates into exactly what the format needs. With 108 Tests under his belt, Williamson has scored 9,461 runs at an average of 54.68 with 33 hundreds to his name.
In ODI cricket as well, the former Kiwi skipper has scored 7,256 runs with 15 hundreds and 47 fifties under his belt. Though Williamson has retired from the shortest format of the game internationally, he will be missed by New Zealand, especially for the way he structured his innings.
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