Kane Williamson becomes third NZ batter to 1,000 WC runs
Kane Williamson has become the third New Zealand batter to accomplish 1,000 runs in ICC Cricket World Cups. He accomplished the feat against Pakistan in Match 35 of the ongoing 2023 edition in Bengaluru. The talismanic batter ended up hammering a solid 95 off 79 balls (10 fours, 2 sixes). Notably, the ongoing tournament marked his comeback to professional cricket. Here are his stats.
Williamson's race against time
Williamson sustained a knee injury while fielding for Gujarat Titans in the opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. The 33-year-old underwent surgery, having ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament on his right knee. He, hence, had a race against time to get fit for the WC. Adding to his agony, Williamson missed many games in this WC due to a thumb injury.
Third Kiwi batter to get the feat
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.
