Williamson will be involved in his maiden Pakistan Super League appearance as he joins David Warner and soon-to-be captain Shan Masood at Karachi Kings. However, in a surprising turn of events, the right-handed batter was snubbed in the main rounds of the PSL 2025 draft.

Williamson, who had registered himself in the opening Platinum category of players, didn’t get drafted by any of the six teams. 10 other players from the same bracket including compatriots Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Finn Allen and Mark Chapman got selected in the opening round of the day.

Setback for Kane Williamson

It is another sign of a setback for the 34-year-old who also went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction in November last year. His base price of INR 2 crores didn’t attract any takers and Williamson appeared in just two matches for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024.

The IPL snub as well as his non-selection in the Platinum round of PSL draft highlights how Kane Williamson’s classic batting style and average T20 returns contrast with the increased demands of explosiveness and unorthodox batting in this format.

Williamson, who is the second-highest run-scorer with 2,575 runs for New Zealand in T20Is, has a conservative strike rate of 122.79 in T20 cricket. While he does possess a steady average of above 30, it is his lack of power game and inability to switch gears that have hurt his reputation in this format.

Besides IPL 2018 where he scored 735 runs at an average of 52.50 and strike rate of 142.44 while leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final, Williamson has also had ordinary returns in the IPL.

The former Black Caps captain has also struggled with fitness lately. He didn’t feature in a single T20 international in 2023 and only took part in two matches in the T20 World Cup cycle from 2022 to 2024.

The current situation Williamson finds himself in is also ironic given that he turned down a New Zealand central contract for the 2024/25 season. While he did mention that international cricket will remain his priority, Williamson has not shied away from expressing his interest in franchise leagues.

"There's a number of great competitions on during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting. Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract, however my priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand," he said back then.

Kane Williamson is currently playing for Durban’s Super Giants and also smashed a half-century on his SA20 debut.

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