His last international game was in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Australia defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Rain washed out the second T20I, and the match ended with no result. Notably, former captain Kane Williamson, one of New Zealand’s most experienced players, is not included in the squad for the T20I series against Australia.
The news from the third T20I is Australia have won the toss and opted to field first.
Australia XI: Mitchell Marsh(c), Travis Head, Matthew Short, Tim David, Alex Carey(w), Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
New Zealand Playing XI: Tim Seifert(w), Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell(c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.
Kane Williamson has chosen not to take a central contract with New Zealand Cricket for the 2025-26 season. Instead, he has signed a casual playing agreement. This type of agreement allows him to play for New Zealand when needed, while also giving him the freedom to participate in various overseas leagues.
He is not the only senior player to take this route. Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert have also signed casual agreements for the season. Out of these players, Conway and Seifert have been included in the squad for the upcoming series against Australia, while Williamson, Ferguson and Allen will not be part of the team.
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Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
October 1 (Wednesday)
October 3 (Friday)
October 4 (Saturday)
Kane Williamson, although not part of the squad for the Australia series, will be available for the 2026 T20 World Cup. He is skipping the series to manage his workload but will stay focused on international cricket and may play other series before the World Cup to stay in form.
Since his last international game in the Champions Trophy 2025, Williamson has been playing in T20 leagues around the world. Playing in tournaments such as the SA20, the T20 Blast in England, and The Hundred has helped him keep in form while handling his schedule.
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