Kane Williamson becomes 1st New Zealand batter to achieve huge landmark during SA vs NZ 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal 2
Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson became the first player from the country to score 19,000 international runs across all formats. The 34-year-old accomplished the milestone during the second semifinal of the 2025 Champions Trophy against South Africa. The match is being played on Wednesday, March 5, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
On the final ball of the 19th over of New Zealand's innings, Williamson took a single to reach 27 runs, marking the moment he crossed the 19,000-run milestone in international cricket.
Before the ongoing match, the right-handed batter had accumulated 7,122 runs in 171 ODIs at an average of 49.11, with 47 fifties and 14 centuries to his name.
The seasoned batter has also played 105 Tests for New Zealand, scoring 9,276 runs at an average of 54.88, with 37 fifties and 33 centuries. Additionally, Williamson has appeared in 93 T20Is, amassing 2,575 runs, including 18 fifties.
Kane Williamson becomes the player with the most runs for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy
While Kane Williamson became the first player from New Zealand to score 19,000 international runs in the ongoing semifinal of the 2025 Champions Trophy against South Africa, he also set another record.
Upon reaching the 10-run mark, the right-handed batter surpassed Stephen Fleming’s record of 441 runs in 13 innings, becoming New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer in the Champions Trophy.
After choosing to bat first, New Zealand lost Will Young (21) early. However, Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson then combined for a brilliant partnership of 164 runs off 154 balls for the second wicket. Ravindra brought up his fifth ODI century, finishing with 108 off 101 balls, including 13 boundaries and one six.
Meanwhile, Williamson reached his 48th career half-century. At the time of writing, New Zealand were 234/2 after 37 overs, with Williamson on 89 and Daryl Mitchell on 13. The winner of this match will face India in the final on Sunday, March 9, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the UAE.