Kane Williamson is an excellent cricketer from New Zealand, known as one of the best from his country. He excels in long matches but also performs well in shorter formats like T20 cricket. Since 2011, he has played 88 T20 International games and scored over 2500 runs, which is impressive!
Although he took a break due to injuries and other commitments, he made a strong comeback in a match against Pakistan, scoring fifty runs. He’s now preparing for the T20 World Cup.
Let’s review his top five T20I performances so far.
1. 85 (48) against Australia in the 2021 T20 World Cup Final in Dubai
In the 2021 T20 World Cup final, Kane Williamson played really well even though his team lost. He scored 85 runs against Australia, which was impressive. While other players had a hard time scoring, Williamson did well against tough bowlers like Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc. He helped his team reach a total of 168 runs. Even though they didn’t win, Williamson’s performance was great and almost won them the match.
2. 51 (35) against South Africa, Bangladesh, T20 World Cup 2014
In 2014, Bangladesh hosted the T20 World Cup. Kane Williamson played his 15th T20 match against South Africa. South Africa batted first and scored 170 runs. The Kiwis had a hard time chasing this total because South Africa had strong bowlers like Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Albie Morkel.
Despite this, Kane Williamson played very well. He scored 51 runs from 35 balls, hitting the ball hard against Steyn and Morkel. This gave the Kiwis a good start and made it look like they might win. But later in the game, Dale Steyn took four wickets in his second spell, which changed the game. Even though Kane did his best, the Kiwis lost by just 2 runs.
3. 72 (46) against England, Trans-Tasman T20I Tri Series 2018, Wellington
In 2018, New Zealand played cricket against Australia and England. Australia performed very well and won most of their games. New Zealand only won one game. Despite this, they made it to the final because England’s score was lower.
New Zealand’s only win was against England. Williamson played brilliantly, scoring 72 runs. He hit four boundaries and four sixes, helping his team score a high total of 196 runs while batting first.
4. 95 (48) against India, Hamilton, 2020
After the 2019 World Cup, Team India visited New Zealand to play matches in all formats. India won all five T20 matches. The only highlight for New Zealand was their player, Williamson. He scored 160 runs in just three innings, including his highest score of 95 runs in the third T20 match.
In that third match, as New Zealand aimed to chase 180 runs, Williamson stood out. He made 95 runs with eight boundaries and six sixes. Although he couldn’t secure a win for New Zealand, he managed to tie the score, leading to an exciting super over.
5. 72* (48) against Pakistan, Hamilton, 2016
Before the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, New Zealand played three T20 matches against Pakistan. Pakistan had strong bowlers like Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, and Shahid Afridi. Pakistan batted first and scored 168 runs.
When New Zealand batted, Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill performed exceptionally well. They easily won the game without losing any wickets. Kane Williamson scored 72 runs off 48 balls, hitting 11 boundaries.
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