His red-ball career in pictures
Williamson becomes NZ's top scorer in Test cricket
There are very few players who are primed for greatness from a young age and deliver on the promise. Kane Williamson is one of them•ICC via Getty
A baby-faced Williamson made his Test debut in 2010 aged 20. Don't go by the looks as he became only the eighth New Zealand batter to score a century on debut against India in Ahmedabad•Associated Press
Williamson's consistency sets him apart from his contemporaries in Tests. He has scored centuries on the turning sub-continental tracks, bouncier Australian conditions and English green seamers•Getty Images
Shortly after Brendon McCullum's retirement, Williamson was named New Zealand's 29th Test captain in April 2016•Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
It was under Williamson's captaincy that New Zealand won the inaugural World Test Championship in June 2021 in Southampton•Getty Images
At Wellington on February 27, 2023, he cemented his claim to be New Zealand's greatest Test batter by becoming their highest run-scorer as well•Getty Images
Williamson is known to tackle spin and pace in equal measure and can also bat for hours•Getty Images
By 2015, Williamson had firmly established himself as one of the best batters in world cricket. He was also part of the Fab four - a term coined by the late Martin Crowe in an article on ESPNcricinfo•Getty Images
Not that the leadership affected his batting. Rather, the responsibility made it even better. He averages 57.43 in Test cricket as captain as opposed to his overall average of 53.83•Getty Images
Williamson has now surpassed his long-time team-mate Taylor to become New Zealand's most prolific batter in Test cricket•Getty Images
Oh, and he does that nonchalantly - with a smile, and minimal fuss•Getty Images
He scored his maiden Test double-century against Sri Lanka in 2015 - an innings full of characteristic pose and control•Getty Images
He zoomed past Ross Taylor for the most centuries in Tests for New Zealand, and also past McCullum for the most double-hundreds•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images
He achieved the feat at a fitting venue, the Basin Reserve in Wellington, in the second Test against England•Getty Images