The legendary New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson announced his immediate retirement from all international cricket formats, whilst his country is actively touring England.
The thirty-five-year-old former captain confirmed his decision via a statement on the New Zealand Cricket website, bringing an end to a glittering sixteen-year international career comprising 378 matches. Having debuted against India in 2010 with a debut Test century, Williamson concludes his historic tenure as New Zealand's most prolific run-scorer.
He accumulated a national record of 19,346 international runs and forty-eight centuries across all formats.
His remarkable career statistics include 9,515 Test runs at an average of 54.06 with thirty-three centuries, alongside 7,256 ODI runs. Renowned for his sportsmanship, the 2015 Wisden Leading Cricketer famously guided the Black Caps to the inaugural World Test Championship title in 2021 against India.
His departure marks the first complete exit from the modern game’s elite 'Fab Four' batting group. Long-time rival Virat Kohli penned a heartfelt farewell note following the announcement.