Kane Williamson LSG (Source: X.com/@LucknowIPL &AFP)
On Wednesday, Lucknow Super Giants kick off their Indian Premier League campaign against Delhi Capitals at their home in Lucknow. However, cricket fans are going berserk to see New Zealand legend Kane Williamson in the LSG dressing room for the IPL 2026.
It is worth noting that Williamson, who was the mainstay for Sunrisers Hyderabad between 2015 and 2023, chose to skip the IPL 2026 auction and join the Super Giants in a new role, sparking noise around his international retirement.
Is Kane Williamson retired?
The batting star, Kane Williamson, has announced his retirement from the T20 internationals in November 2025. He opted to call time on the shortest format, just months before the next T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February.
He retired as New Zealand's second-highest run-scorer in the format, with 2,575 runs at an average of 33.44, 18 fifties and a highest score of 95. He captained the team in 75 of his matches, including T20 World Cup semi-final appearances in 2016 and 2022, and one losing final in 2021.
Also read: IPL 2026 Coaches And Support Staff
That said, he has not fully retired from international cricket and is still an active New Zealand player, playing in both ODI and Test formats. Moreover, the 35-year-old plays in franchise leagues all over the world, but for this IPL, he’ll be working behind the scenes.
Now the question comes, why is Kane Williamson sitting in the LSG dugout but not playing in IPL 2026?
Why is Williamson not playing in the IPL 2026?
Notably, Kane Williamson decided not to put his name in the December IPL player auction, held in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, the classical batter went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction. Thus, he last played in the league for the Gujarat Titans back in 2024.
Thus, the former Kiwi captain has taken up his first-ever role in the support staff as Lucknow Super Giants’ Mentor and Strategic Advisor. Further, he has played for LSG’s sister franchise, Durban Super Giants, in the SA20 2025-26 league.
LSG Owner Sanjiv Goenka announced Williamson’s new role ahead of the IPL 2026
Ahead of the start of the IPL 2026 season, the Lucknow Super Giants owner, Mr Sanjiv Goenka, warmly welcomed the Kiwi legend in October, commenting, "Kane has been a part of the Super Giants family and it's an absolute delight to welcome him in his new role as strategic advisor. His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team."
Meanwhile, Kane Williamson commented at the time, "I'm really excited to be joining LSG. They have a hugely talented squad and a great group of coaches, and I'm looking forward to working alongside them. It's always special being involved in the IPL, the best franchise competition in the game.”
It will be interesting to see whether the recent development changes LSG’s fortunes as Kane Williamson steps into a never-before-seen role.
Also read: Rishabh Pant Screams In Anger After Unluckiest Dismissal In IPL vs DC
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