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Blackcaps great Kane Williamson shocked the cricketing fraternity on Wednesday, June 19, when he opted out of New Zealand Cricket's central contract for the 2024-25 season. He also relinquished his leadership duties from white-ball cricket. Notably, he stepped down as Test captain in December 2022.
The decision came after a horrendous T20 World Cup campaign in the USA and the West Indies, where they crashed out of the group stage. Although they won their remaining two games, it wasn't enough to seal them a Super 8 berth.
Williamson has now decided not to accept a new contract and affirmed his commitment to New Zealand Cricket (NZC). The 33-year-old revealed that he will see opportunities in overseas leagues and thus, will not be available during the summer. He will represent the Blackcaps for the rest of the season.
“Helping push the team forward across the formats is something I’m very passionate about and something I want to keep contributing towards," Williamson said in an official release.
“However, pursuing an overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer means I’m unable to accept a central contract offer. Playing for New Zealand is something I treasure, and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished," he added.
With Kane Williamson relinquishing his captaincy duties, NZC has the task of finding an able replacement who can carry the nation forward. On that note, let's take a look at three possible candidates who can replace Williamson as New Zealand's white-ball captain.
#1 Mitchell Santner
The left-arm spinner is currently the best option to lead the Kiwis, with the Champions Trophy scheduled to be played next year. Mitchell Santner had led New Zealand previously in limited-overs cricket, which would come in handy.
Santner has led the Kiwis in one ODI and has a 100 percent winning record. Besides, he has also led the country in 22 T20Is, winning 12 of them. He has a win percentage of 54.54, which is the second-best among New Zealand captains, who have led at least 20 matches.
Santner has a calm head over his shoulder and is a brilliant tactician despite being highly underrated. Moreover, he has had a chance to pick MS Dhoni's brains, having seen him run the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side from close quarters in the IPL.
#2 Devon Conway
The wicketkeeper-batter has emerged as one of the top cricketers in the country across all formats in the last 12 months or so. He has scored heavily and has led the batting unit more often than not.
With his place in ODI and T20I playing XIs all but confirmed, Devon Conway could be a decent option to replace Williamson as captain. The southpaw has also seen Dhoni go about his business from close quarters at Chennai Super Kings, which could help him while running the Blackcaps side.
#3 Rachin Ravindra
While this looks like a far-fetched option, but Rachin Ravindra could be an ideal choice if NZC is looking for a long-term solution. Despite being new to international cricket, Rachin has shown great tactical acumen. He is known for having a calm head while batting, which could come in handy while leading the side.
The NZC can take a cue from Indian cricket and how they have thrown Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in the leadership group. With age on his side, the 24-year-old can serve the nation for a long time and build a pool of cricketers who would bring laurels for the country in the future.
