IPL 2026 | Kane Williamson to begin new innings with Lucknow Super Giants as strategic advisor

‌Kane Williamson will be part of the Lucknow Super Giants support staff for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. The former New Zealand skipper will join the franchise as a strategic advisor, with owner Sanjiv Goenka announcing the same on his social media handle.

"His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team," Goenka wrote about Williamson.

LSG’s backroom staff has seen many changes after the side finished a disappointing seventh in the 2025 season, the same as in 2024, after qualifying for the knockouts in its first two seasons in the IPL. Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan left the franchise in September after just one season, as a mentor, with them.

They signed Bharat Arun as the fast bowling coach in July, with Carl Crowe also expected to join them as a spin bowling consultant. Williamson will join head coach Justin Langer and assistant coaches Lance Klusener and Vijay Dahiya, who are expected to continue in their roles for the next season.

The Kiwi batter has played 79 matches in IPL with a tally of 2128 runs at an average of 35.46 and a strike rate of 125.61. However, the last three seasons have been underwhelming for him, with only three appearances spread across two seasons.

In the 2023 edition, he suffered a knee injury while fielding during his only match, before missing out the remaining season. In the next year, he played only two matches with a meagre return of 27 runs, which saw him go unsold in the mega auction ahead of IPL 2025.

He last played for New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final against India and is expected to feature in the ODI series at home against England later this month. He represented Middlesex in the County Championship Division Two and also captained London Spirit in The Hundred recently.