New Zealand's batting mainstay Kane Williamson has joined Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2026 as a strategic advisor, the team's owner Sanjiv Goenka confirmed on social media on Thursday morning.
"Kane has been a part of the Super Giants family and it’s an absolute delight to welcome him in his new role. His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team," Goenka shared on X.
Lucknow Super Giants, who finished seventh in the 2025 season with six wins and eight losses in fourteen games, will be looking to do better in the upcoming season under the guidance of Williamson. The side will be led by young Rishabh Pant, who made headlines last year after being bought by LSG for an eye-watering INR 27 crore.
As for Williamson, he last featured for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai in March earlier this year. While Williamson hasn't bowed out of international cricket, he has signed a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket, allowing him to play in overseas leagues. Meanwhile, he will miss the upcoming T20 series against Australia; however, he will be available to play in next year's T20I World Cup.
Williamson has a lot of experience in the IPL, having featured in 10 seasons between 2015 and 2024. He also captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final back in 2018. In IPL 2023, Williamson, who was appearing for Gujarat Titans, picked up an injury in their very first match of the season and was ruled out of the tournament. In IPL 2024, again with GT, he played only two games. And in IPL 2025 he didn't play after going unsold at the mega auction ahead of IPL 2025.