Cricket

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged New Zealand's Kane Williamson to emulate Virat Kohli's transformation in T20 cricket. Vaughan believes Williamson, who recently stepped down as New Zealand's T20I captain, needs to increase his strike rate to remain relevant in the shortest format.Williamson's struggles in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he scored just 28 runs at a strike rate of 87.50, have raised concerns about his suitability for the modern T20 game. Vaughan suggests that Williamson should take inspiration from Kohli, who has reinvented himself as an aggressive batter in recent years."Look at Virat Kohli in IPL 2024. He went from the Virat in previous years to the modern 2024 player by going for it, being expansive, particularly against spin. It was tremendous to see," Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.Vaughan believes that Williamson, who has a career T20I strike rate of 126.50, can improve his strike rate by 15-20% to become a more valuable asset for New Zealand and his franchise teams."Kane Williamson will never be a batter who strikes at 200. If he can up his strike rate by 15-20 per cent, and get to a strike rate of 140-150, he would be the glue for New Zealand and whatever franchise he plays for," Vaughan added.Kohli, at the age of 35, piled up 741 runs at a strike rate of 154 in IPL 2024, winning his second Orange Cap in the process. Williamson is no stranger to the Orange Cap either, having won it in 2018, when he smashed 735 runs at a strike rate of 142. However, six years on, Williamson's offensive game seems to be on the decline.Williamson's future in New Zealand's T20I setup is uncertain. He has quit captaincy and declined a central contract, hinting at overseas priorities and wanting to spend more time with his family. New Zealand's failure to qualify for the Super 8 in the 2024 T20 World Cup also means that they are not guaranteed direct qualification to the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Kane Williamson, the former New Zealand captain, has confirmed his participation in the inaugural season of the SA20 league in January 2023. This decision comes after Williamson declined a central contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) for the 2024-25 season.Williamson emphasized that his decision was primarily driven by NZC's player availability rules, which require players to participate in the Super Smash domestic tournament if not on international duty. He stressed that his commitment to New Zealand cricket remains unwavering, despite his absence from the SA20.The SA20 league will likely see Williamson miss only a handful of international matches, including three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka. However, his participation in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September remains uncertain. Williamson will participate in the World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka and India, the three-match home series against England, and an ODI tour of Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy in February.Williamson expressed his excitement about the SA20 league, stating that it is a "really exciting" competition. He acknowledged that his decision to decline the central contract was a difficult one, but emphasized that his priority remains playing for New Zealand.Regarding the longevity of his international career, Williamson indicated that he intends to play as long as possible. He acknowledged that major events and series, such as the 2028 T20 World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, remain on his radar. However, he emphasized the importance of managing his time and fitness effectively.Williamson also expressed his desire to continue playing across all three formats of international cricket. However, he acknowledged that his T20 spot may come under scrutiny as the team rebuilds following their disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies.NZC CEO Scott Weenink stated that the casual playing arrangement afforded to Williamson will only be offered to a select few senior players who have earned the right to be treated in a certain way. He cited Trent Boult and Tim Southee as other players who have been granted this option.

Kane Williamson, New Zealand's legendary cricketer, has made a significant decision to decline a central contract for the 2024-25 season. This move is part of a strategic plan to prolong his illustrious international career. Williamson, who currently holds the captaincy of the T20I and ODI teams, will also step down from these leadership roles.Williamson's decision stems from his desire to prioritize his family and explore overseas opportunities during the New Zealand summer. Despite relinquishing his central contract, he remains committed to representing his country and is open to accepting a contract in the future."Playing for New Zealand is something I treasure, and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished," Williamson said. "However, my life outside cricket has changed, and spending more time with my family is even more important to me."Williamson's decision comes after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign for New Zealand, where they failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2014. He remains coy about his T20I future, stating that he will assess the situation later.Williamson's legacy as a cricketer is unparalleled. He has played 100 Tests, 165 ODIs, and 93 T20Is for New Zealand, leading them in 40 Tests, 91 ODIs, and 75 T20Is. Under his captaincy, the Blackcaps reached the finals of the World Test Championship 2021, the ODI World Cup 2019, and the T20 World Cup 2021.NZC CEO Scott Weenink expressed his support for Williamson's decision, acknowledging his exceptional contributions to New Zealand cricket. "This is a good way to help keep Kane in the international game so that he continues to play a major role for the Blackcaps," Weenink said.Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has also declined a central contract offer, citing similar reasons. Ferguson has played one Test, 65 ODIs, and 42 T20Is for New Zealand.

New Zealand's disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean has sparked questions about the team's future direction. The Black Caps, who have consistently reached the semi-finals in recent editions, were eliminated after unexpected losses to Afghanistan and the West Indies.Coach Gary Stead acknowledged the need for reflection and potential changes to the squad. Veteran seamer Trent Boult has already announced his retirement from T20 internationals, and further adjustments may be necessary to revitalize the team's performance.Stead's contract extends until the end of the current World Test Championship cycle in 2025, but he may consider relinquishing his responsibilities in the white-ball formats. New Zealand has enjoyed success under Stead and captain Kane Williamson, winning the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 and reaching the T20 World Cup final in 2021.However, a long-sought-after white-ball trophy continues to elude the Black Caps, leading to questions about the leadership's ability to secure one. Williamson, who recently relinquished the Test captaincy, may decide to step down from white-ball leadership or drop a format to extend his playing career.The team's older players, including Southee and Boult, may opt for a reduced workload or pursue franchise cricket. New Zealand faces the challenge of reconstructing a competitive T20 squad for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Sri Lanka and India.

Kane Williamson, the skipper of New Zealand's cricket team, has expressed uncertainty about his future in the T20I format after the team's disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup. Williamson, who will turn 34 in August, has been a cornerstone of New Zealand's successful white-ball team for over a decade, leading them to at least the semi-finals in seven of the ten consecutive World Cups he has played in across both 20- and 50-over formats since 2011.During this period, New Zealand has reached three finals, with Williamson's notable contributions including a Player-of-the-Tournament performance in England in 2019 and an impressive 85 runs off 48 balls in the defeat to Australia in Dubai in 2021. However, with his long-time teammate Trent Boult having already announced that this tournament would be his last T20 World Cup, Williamson acknowledges that a transition may be on the horizon.When asked if he would still be involved in New Zealand's T20I setup in 2026, Williamson responded, "Oh, I don't know. There's a bit of time between now and then, so it's about regrouping as a side. We've got red-ball cricket over the next year basically, so it's back into some other international formats, and we'll see where things land."New Zealand's most significant victory in recent years came in the Test format in 2021, when Williamson led the team to victory over India in the World Test Championship final in Southampton. The two teams are set to face off again in a Test rematch in India later this year, with New Zealand also scheduled for a three-match home series against England in December and a four-match tour of Australia in 2026-27.These upcoming fixtures could take precedence for Williamson, who played his 100th Test earlier this year alongside another long-standing teammate, Tim Southee. Williamson is on the cusp of becoming the first New Zealand batter to reach 10,000 Test runs, currently sitting at 8743 runs.Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes that Williamson will be given the time he needs to determine his next move, but his priorities may have shifted as he enters the twilight of his illustrious career. "It hasn't really been questioned over here, due to his genius with the bat, but he has to make a decision now after a disappointing World Cup," Fleming said. "What does his future hold? Is it all three formats, is it franchise cricket, is it family time? He will be getting to that point where he starts making decisions that have other influences, whereas before it was cricket and cricket only."Regarding the recent T20 World Cup campaign, Williamson admitted that New Zealand had been slow to adapt to the challenges they faced in the Caribbean, where Afghanistan and the West Indies proved to be formidable opponents in a competitive Group C. "It took a long time to start and then, in a matter of days, we were not in contention, which was frustrating," Williamson said. "We played against a couple of very strong sides who are very well equipped in these conditions and unfortunately that was the difference in our first two games."Despite the disappointment, Williamson believes there are valuable lessons to be learned for the players who will return to the Caribbean in the future. "All in all it's frustrating, but there'll be learnings for the players that come back to this part of the world. These conditions have been somewhat challenging, so they are some good experiences to have going forward."

New Zealand's disappointing performance in their T20 World Cup 2024 opener against West Indies has prompted skipper Kane Williamson to demand improvement from his team. The Kiwis fell short by 13 runs in a match where they struggled to chase down the Windies' total of 149/9.Williamson, who managed just 1 run before being dismissed by Gudakesh Motie, acknowledged the need to adapt to the conditions at the Brian Lara Stadium. "Conditions here are what they are and we can't make excuses," he said. "We need to keep getting better and keep finding a way."The Kiwi skipper emphasized the importance of learning from their mistakes and bouncing back in their next match. "The learnings are important and we need to pick ourselves up and go again," he added.West Indies' victory was largely due to the heroics of Sherfane Rutherford, who smashed an unbeaten 68 off just 39 balls, including six sixes. Nicholas Pooran also contributed with a quickfire 17.Trent Boult led the New Zealand bowling attack with three wickets, while Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson claimed two each. However, the Kiwi batters failed to capitalize on their efforts, with only Glenn Phillips (40) offering any significant resistance.Alzarri Joseph was the star of the Caribbean bowling attack, taking four wickets, while Motie chipped in with three. Rutherford's all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award.Williamson acknowledged the need to improve their batting performance, particularly in the middle overs. "We need to find a way to get through those middle overs and build a platform," he said. "We're not far away, but we need to be smarter and execute better."The Kiwis will have a quick turnaround as they face Scotland in their next match on October 20. Williamson will be hoping for a much-improved performance from his team as they look to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

New Zealand's T20 World Cup campaign has hit a major roadblock after a disastrous 84-run defeat to Afghanistan in their opening match. The Black Caps, who had not played a T20I together since February, looked rusty and out of sorts in all three facets of the game.Captain Kane Williamson's dismissal, a dab straight to first slip, epitomized New Zealand's struggles. The team's fielding was uncharacteristically sloppy, with dropped catches and missed run-out chances. Their batting was equally shaky, with the ball swinging more under lights than expected.Afghanistan's bowlers, led by Rashid Khan, exploited the low bounce and skid of the Providence pitch to their advantage. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, punished New Zealand's fielding lapses and scored a match-winning 80.Former New Zealand players and experts have criticized the team's decision to opt out of warm-up games. Mitchell McClenaghan and Mike Hesson questioned the logic behind not playing any practice matches, especially given the lack of recent game time for many players.New Zealand's poor net run-rate (-4.2) now puts them in a precarious position in the group of death. They face a must-win match against West Indies on June 12, who have a healthy run-rate (3.574).The Black Caps' hopes of reaching the Super Eights now hang in the balance. They will need to improve their fielding, batting, and overall intensity if they want to avoid an early exit from the tournament.

New Zealand's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign kicks off against Afghanistan on Friday, and captain Kane Williamson is wary of their formidable bowling attack. Afghanistan boasts one of the tournament's strongest bowling units, according to Williamson, who has witnessed their growth firsthand."They have a very skillful team, one of the better bowling attacks in the competition," Williamson said. "We've seen their involvement in franchise competitions, and they're only getting better with more top-level cricket."Williamson highlighted Afghanistan's star legspinner Rashid Khan, who he has played alongside in the IPL. "Rashid is a world-class player, but they have other threats throughout their side," Williamson said.Despite playing only two matches in the IPL this season, Williamson is confident in his team's preparation for the World Cup. "I've been involved in a few IPLs now and sometimes play more, sometimes less," Williamson said. "But I'm trying to help the team as much as I can and focus on my fitness and other aspects of my game."Williamson also praised the expansion of the World Cup to 20 teams. "It's a fantastic thing," he said. "That sort of exposure is only beneficial for all teams, and anything can happen in tournament time."

The incessant downpour at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday washed out the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) clash between Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, leaving both teams with a shared point. However, the rain-marred evening witnessed a heartwarming reunion between Gujarat Titans batter Kane Williamson and his former team, Sunrisers Hyderabad.Williamson, who spent eight memorable seasons with SRH from 2015 to 2022, was seen warmly greeting SRH owner Kavya Maran and other management members in the stands. The video of their interaction, shared by SRH on their official Twitter handle, evoked nostalgic memories for fans.Williamson's popularity in Hyderabad is deeply rooted in his significant contributions to the team over the years. Affectionately known as 'Kane mama' by fans, the New Zealand skipper played 76 matches for SRH, amassing 2,101 runs at an impressive average of 36.22. His 18 half-centuries and leadership qualities left an indelible mark on the franchise.As captain, Williamson led SRH in 46 matches, guiding them to the IPL final in 2018, where they narrowly lost to Chennai Super Kings. That season, he also won the Orange Cap, scoring 735 runs at an average of 52.50 and a strike rate of 142.44.Despite the disappointment of the washout, the reunion with Williamson served as a reminder of his lasting impact on SRH and its supporters. As the team gears up for the playoffs, the shared memories and camaraderie between Williamson and his former teammates will undoubtedly provide inspiration and motivation.