Kane Williamson steps down as New Zealand captain - Who can be their Next Captain?

Kane Williamson has stepped down as New Zealand's captain in both ODIs and T20Is hours after declining a central contract. This change comes after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, where New Zealand exited at the end of the group stage.

They lost their opening two games to Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea. Earlier this year, Williamson played his 100th Test. He has represented New Zealand in 165 ODIs and 93 T20Is, leading in 40 Tests. His leadership has taken the team to remarkable heights. They won the World Test Championship title in 2021.

Under his captaincy, New Zealand also reached the finals of the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2021, though they lost both. Williamson, 33, aims to prolong his international career by declining the contract for 2024-25.

He said, "Helping push the team forward across the formats is something I'm very passionate about and something I want to keep contributing towards."

Last season, Williamson also gave up his Test captaincy, with Tim Southee taking over. Despite not accepting a central contract, the door remains open for a future contract if the situation changes.

"Playing for New Zealand is something I treasure, and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished," he stated.

However, Williamson added that a new overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer prevents him from committing to a central contract. He expressed that spending more time with his family has become crucial.

"My life outside cricket has changed, however. Spending more time with my family and enjoying experiences with them at home or abroad is something that's even more important to me," he concluded.

Who can be New Zealand's next ODI and T20I Captain?

With Kane Williamson stepping down from captaincy, it is unsure who will take over the leadership duties for the Black Caps.

Daryl Mitchell is one of the options whereas Tim Southee can be in contention as well. Although the latter can be made captain, he himself is in the twilight of his career.

Realistically, New Zealand may look to appoint someone like Devon Conway or Mitchell to take over the duties from Kane Williamson but nothing has been confirmed yet.