New Zealand batter Kane Williamson is returning to the Indian Premier League (IPL), but instead of entering the upcoming mini-auction as a player, he has joined the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as their Strategic Advisor for the 2026 season. The franchise recently parted ways with mentor Zaheer Khan and appointed Bharat Arun as their new bowling coach during the off-season.
Williamson had expressed his intent to continue playing the shortest format following New Zealand’s disappointing 2024 T20 World Cup. Although he last played a T20I against England in late 2024, he has remained active in franchise cricket, most recently captaining London Spirit in the 2025 Hundred competition. Earlier in 2025, he also represented Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20, the sister franchise of LSG.
According to RevSportz, LSG will retain Justin Langer as head coach for the third consecutive season, while Williamson joins the coaching setup as a strategic advisor. Additionally, Carl Crowe has been appointed as the team’s spin bowling coach.
“Kane Williamson to take over as strategic advisor of @LucknowIPL. Carl Crowe to take over as spin bowling coach. Justin Langer retained as Head Coach,” the report mentions.
Lucknow Super Giants had a challenging IPL 2025 season under Rishabh Pant after a major squad overhaul in the mega auction, finishing seventh with six wins from 14 league matches.
Kane Williamson Set To Play In New Zealand’s Home ODI Series Against England
The star batter is making his return to international cricket for the first time since New Zealand’s loss to India in the 2025 Champions Trophy Final in early March. His appearances for the Blackcaps have been sporadic after he chose to step away from a central contract in June 2024.
Although Kane Williamson will miss the three-match T20I series due to medical reasons, he has been included in the squad for the three ODIs, which are set to begin on October 26.
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