By Zainab Shafiq 
The surprising move has many cricket fans abuzz as Kane Williamson is all set to make a debut in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after Karachi Kings picked him in the supplementary round of the PSL 2025 draft. The former New Zealand captain had initially registered in the Platinum category but was left out in the main rounds of the draft.
Williamson will join a star-studded Karachi Kings squad that already features David Warner and their soon-to-be captain Shan Masood. Despite his illustrious career, this will mark Williamson’s first-ever appearance in the PSL.
Snub in the Platinum round for 34-year-old signals a challenging phase in his T20 career, coming only a few months after Rohit Sharma’s retirement went about reordering the cricketing landscape of veteran leaders. Williamson has played steadily but has not caught up with the growing expectations in T20 cricket for explosiveness and innovation.
Kane Williamson’s T20 Challenges
Williamson, who went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction last November when his base price of INR 2 crore failed to attract any bids, suffered another blow when his draft was rejected. He has been often criticized for his conservative strike rate of 122.79 and a penchant for classical shot-making over power-hitting in the fast-evolving format.
While Williamson boasts an impressive T20I career for New Zealand, scoring 2,575 runs at an average above 30, his inability to switch gears has limited his impact in franchise cricket. Aside from his standout performance in IPL 2018, where he scored 735 runs at a strike rate of 142.44, Williamson’s T20 franchise returns have remained underwhelming.
Interestingly, Williamson has shown brief glimpses of form while playing for Durban’s Super Giants in SA20 and even smashed a half-century on his debut. With Karachi Kings now backing him for the PSL, fans would be eager to see how the experienced cricketer adapts to the league’s high-energy environment.
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