Sports · Cricket · 4 hrs ago
Kane Williamson says Virat Kohli helped him decide to retire
Kane Williamson retired from international cricket in June during New Zealand’s Test series against England.
The former New Zealand captain said he spoke with Indian batter Virat Kohli the day before announcing his decision.
Williamson said the conversation helped him see his own situation clearly, like looking in a mirror.
The two players had spent years in similar roles, including leading their teams and balancing cricket with family life.
Both retired from Test cricket before reaching 10,000 runs, though Williamson’s retirement ended his international career while Kohli remains active in one-day internationals.
Williamson said he had given the game 16 years and felt his relationship with it was changing.
He decided it was time to move on, and no further steps were described.
Kane Williamson said a conversation with Virat Kohli helped him decide to retire from international cricket.
The two spoke by phone a day before Williamson announced his retirement, and he said the chat felt like looking in a mirror.
Williamson said their shared experiences, including captaincy and family life, helped them connect.
He retired in June during New Zealand’s Test series against England, bringing an end to a 16-year international career.
Kohli retired from Test cricket in 2025 and remains active in ODIs.
- Who
- Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli.
- What
- Williamson said a conversation with Kohli helped him decide to retire from international cricket.
- When
- They spoke the day before Williamson announced his retirement in June. The articles give no year for his announcement.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Williamson said they had shared similar experiences in cricket and could discuss how their approach to the game was changing.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Williamson spoke with Kohli about their shared experiences and his decision.
Williamson retired from international cricket midway through New Zealand’s Test series against England.
Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, 13 months before Williamson’s decision, according to Hindustan Times.
- International career
- 16 years
- Test runs
- 9,515, according to Hindustan Times
- ODI runs
- 7,256, according to Hindustan Times
- T20I runs
- 2,575, according to Hindustan Times
- Total international runs
- 19,356, according to Hindustan Times
2 sources
What people are saying
I had a really cool chat with Virat the day before I announced it. And it was like looking in a mirror.
I got off the phone, my wife walked into the hotel room and I was like, it's time.
You do it for a long time. Your life changes for the better. You do something, and you love it for so long, give it everything, and you do have to put it down.