Kane Williamson revealed that a conversation with close friend Virat Kohli a day before his retirement announcement helped him decide to walk away from international cricket after 16 years
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Indian skipper Virat Kohli and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Day 3 of the 2nd Test match between India and New Zealand at the Hagley Oval cricket ground in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 2, 2020(Photo: IANS)
Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has revealed that a conversation with Virat Kohli played an important role in his decision to retire from international cricket earlier this yearWilliamson, who ended his 16-year international career in June, said speaking to the former India captain helped him understand that it was time to move on from the game.
The 36-year-old announced his retirement after New Zealand’s Test series against England, bringing an end to a career in which he represented the country across all three formatsHe played 110 Tests, 175 ODIs and 93 T20Is, scoring 9,515, 7,256 and 2,575 runs respectively.
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Speaking on the ‘Between the Two Beers’ podcast, Williamson revealed that he spoke to several people close to him before making the decisionHowever, his conversation with Kohli, just a day before announcing his retirement, proved particularly important.
“I spoke to a number of people I trust, and I’ve been really, really close withAnd then I actually had a really, really cool chat with Virat like the day before I announced it, and it was really like looking in the mirror, just sharing the experiences that we’ve had in the game for so long,” Williamson said.
The former New Zealand skipper also spoke about the special bond he shares with KohliBoth players have enjoyed long international careers, led their respective countries and experienced several similar situations, including balancing family life with the demands of international cricket.
“He’s (Kohli) still playing a little bit, but largely he made some of those big decisionsThere’s no one else, I think, even players in your own team from, at times, that have just been in that exact same position for the exact same length of time, captaincy roles, children at the same timeLike we sort of live this parallel thing,” he added.
Williamson said the conversation allowed them to discuss their feelings and experiences without hesitationHe recalled how he felt after the call ended.
“We had a really quite special relationship, but although different worlds, and it was just quite a cool thing to be able to share some of that real vulnerable stuff and how you were feeling and just connect over itI got off the phone, my wife walked into the hotel room, and I was like, it’s time,” he said.
Williamson also addressed the fact that he finished his Test career just 485 runs short of the 10,000-run milestoneHe insisted that reaching the figure was never a personal target.
“Every interview I did, they would ask about it, and they were never the things that drove me; it wasn’t a numberIt wasn’t to get to 10,000 runs,” he said.
Kohli and Williamson both retired from Test cricket before reaching the landmarkWhile Williamson has ended his international career, Kohli continues to represent India in ODIs after retiring from T20Is in 2024 and Tests in 2025.
