Kane Williamson Makes History, First Kiwi to Score 19,000 International Runs

Kane Williamson, the standout batsman for New Zealand, defeated South Africa in the semi-final of the current Champions Trophy 2025 with an outstanding century. After the early wicket of Will Young, Williamson, and Rachin Ravindra held the fort in the middle, stitching a partnership of 164 runs. Williamson reached his century in 91 balls shortly after his departure, while Rachin played a knock of 108 runs. This was Kane Williamson's 48th century in international cricket, and he went on to become one of the greatest players of all time, scoring 19000 runs in international cricket.

When it comes to leading New Zealand in runs scored in every format, the 34-year-old is already in the lead. Williamson needed 27 runs to add the most recent achievement to his list of records before he came out to bat in the thrilling knockout match. After pacer Lungi Ngidi removed Will Young in the eighth over, the Tauranga native reached the crease. The renowned batsman first struggled to middle the ball with the bat, but after a while in the middle, he established his batting rhythm and reached another fifty in the Champions Trophy.

Kane Williamson Joins Elite Club:

Williamson achieved the milestone by hitting a single against Marco Jansen in the 20th over of the innings. The former captain of New Zealand reached the milestone in 440 innings, making him the fourth-fastest batsman to do so. In 399 innings, India's top batsman Virat Kohli reached the milestone the quickest, followed by Sachin Tendulkar (432 innings) and Brian Lara (433 innings).

Speaking of some iconic New Zealanders, the next-best batters with the most runs for the nation are former captain Stephen Fleming (15,289 runs) and Ross Taylor (18,199 runs). Regarding his Champions Trophy performances, Fleming averaged 33.92 and amassed 441 runs from 13 matches. He scored three fifties in these games.

With 341 runs from seven innings at an average of 68.20 with 102 fifties, Kane Williamson has been in outstanding form in 2025. In their most recent Champions Trophy group match, Kane amassed 81 runs against India. Since making his debut for his country in 2010, Williamson has been a mainstay in the New Zealand batting lineup. He has amassed 47 hundred and 152 fifties while smashing over 19,000 runs at an average of 48.62.

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