Christchurch: Former New Zealand captain and star batter Kane Williamson has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a remarkable era in world cricket.

With his retirement, a golden chapter in global cricket comes to a close. Cricket experts and former players widely regard Williamson as one of the greatest batters in New Zealand’s history.

In his retirement statement, Williamson said he had been considering the decision for some time, but recent days made it clear that this was the right moment. He added that he takes immense pride in everything he achieved while representing New Zealand and gave his absolute best for the country.

Williamson made his international debut in 2010 and quickly established himself as one of the modern greats through his elegant batting, calm temperament, and strong leadership qualities. He became part of the renowned “Fab Four” of modern cricket alongside Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and Joe Root.

He began his Test career with a century against India and went on to become the fastest New Zealand batter to reach 3,000 Test runs at a young age. Across formats, he scored 19,346 international runs, including 48 centuries.

نیوزی لینڈ کے سابق کپتان اور معروف بلے باز کین ولیمسن نے ریٹائرمنٹ کا اعلان کر دیا - ہم نیوز - Hum News

One of his most memorable performances came in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, where he was named Player of the Tournament after guiding New Zealand to their second consecutive final appearance. Although they lost the final to England, Williamson earned global praise for his sportsmanship and leadership.

Under his captaincy, New Zealand won their first-ever ICC World Test Championship title in 2021 and also reached the T20 World Cup final the same year.

Overall, Williamson represented New Zealand in 110 Test matches, 175 One Day Internationals, and 93 T20 Internationals.

He also had a successful career in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he captained Sunrisers Hyderabad, scored 735 runs in 2018, and won the Orange Cap, becoming the first New Zealand player to achieve the feat.

Williamson will be remembered not only as one of the greatest batters of his generation but also as an exemplary captain, outstanding fielder, and a true ambassador of the game. His retirement marks the end of a memorable era in world cricket.