Kane Williamson, a right-hand top-order batsman, made his first-class debut in 2006-07 and played his first Under-19 game against the visiting Indians soon after. Born into a cricketing family - his father also represented Northern Districts at U-17 level - he was voted Player of the Tournament at the Gillette Cup schools' competition in 2007 and scored 47 off 65 balls against a senior Bangladeshi side in a rain-affected game at the end of the year. He is a part-time offspinner as well, and led New Zealand in the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008. His form in the 2009-10 domestic season was outstanding, prompting the selectors to pick him in the squad for the second Test against Australia in Hamilton. He was the highest run-scorer in the NZC one-day competition that season with 621 runs at 77.62 and he was rewarded with a call-up to the New Zealand one-day squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka.

Williamson was always rated highly in New Zealand and immediately justified those expectations, scoring 131 in his maiden Test innings, against India in Ahmedabad in November 2010, to become only the eighth New Zealander to score a century on his Test debut. After that, he struggled in 2011, when performance didn't match potential, but he struck back in 2012, scoring a match-saving unbeaten 102 in the fourth innings against a South African attack that included Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. By that time, he had already scored two ODI centuries and impressed several experts with his organised defensive technique and his elegant and classy strokeplay.

With consistent performances in 2013 and 2014 in Tests and ODIs, Williamson quickly established himself as one of the core players in the side. In his second tour of the West Indies in June 2014, Williamson finished as the top run-getter with 413 runs, including two hundreds that contributed to a historic series win for New Zealand. The tour had a low point for Williamson, too, as he was reported for a suspect bowling action after the second Test in Trinidad and was suspended from bowling following a biomechanical analysis.
ESPNcricinfo staff