Kane Williamson becomes NZ's highest run-getter in ODI WCs
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson announced his return in style, hammering a solid 95 off 79 balls against Pakistan in match number 35 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Bengaluru. The veteran batter played positively but missed out on his third WC century. During the course, however, he became New Zealand's highest run-getter in ODI World Cups. Here are his stats.
A captain's knock from Williamson
NZ were well placed at 68/1 when Williamson arrived in the middle. Notably, he missed the last few games due to a finger injury. The NZ skipper showed no signs of rustiness as he went for the boundaries straightaway. The in-form Rachin Ravindra, who also scored a century, complimented him very well as the duo added 180 runs for the second wicket.
Most WC runs for NZ
With his 11th run, Williamson became the third Kiwi batter to accomplish 1,000 WC runs. He joined greats like Stephen Fleming (1,075) and Ross Taylor (1,002). En route to his 95, Williamson overtook Fleming's tally to become NZ's highest run-getter at the event. Playing his 25th WC game, Williamson has completed 1,084 runs at 63.76. The tally includes five fifties and two tons.
His run across World Cups
Williamson played just four games in the 2011 World Cup, where he managed 99 runs at a strike rate of 107.60. He scored 234 runs across nine games at 33.42 in the 2015 event. He helped NZ reach their second WC successive final in 2019, having scored 578 runs across nine innings at 82.57. He was adjudged the Player of the Tournament.
Fifth-most runs for NZ in ODIs
Williamson has now raced to 6,727 runs from 163 ODIs at an average of 48.74. The tally includes 13 centuries and 44 fifties with 148 being his best score. He is NZ's fifth-highest run-getter in the format. Notably, NZ were the runners-up in the last two ODI World Cups (2015 and 2019). Williamson played an instrumental role in both campaigns.
