Lucknow Super Giants rope in Kane Williamson as strategic advisor:Former New Zealand captain fills in as support staff for first time in his career

In a big development for the Indian Premier League(IPL), one of the Test greats of the previous decade, Kane Williamson, has joined Lucknow Super Giants(LSG) as a strategic advisor ahead of the 2026 season. The update caught the headlines after the Lucknow-based franchise owner, Sanjiv Goenka, announced about the latest appointments on Thursday. And it is not just Kane Williamson, who has joined the team. Rather, the team has also got a new bowling coach. Cool. Calm. Calculated. Kane Williamson is now part of our think tank as our Strategic Advisor. 🙌Welcome to Lucknow, Kane Mama! 💙 pic.twitter.com/t5v9OGMqyU— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) October 16, 2025 Kane Williamson: Lucknow Super Giants’ new strategic advisor After appointing the 35-year-old former New Zealand captain as the new strategic advisor, Goenka said, “His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team.” The new appointments also included Carl Crowe, the new spin bowling coach of the franchise. Meanwhile, old coaches who will continue in their respective roles are Justin Langer and Bharat Arun, who would continue as the head coach and the fast-bowling coach, the franchise confirmed. Williamson said, “I’m really excited to be joining LSG. They have a hugely talented squad and a great group of coaches, which I’m looking forward to working alongside. It’s always special being involved in the IPL, the best franchise competition in the game.” Also Read: ‘Won’t give up’ – Virat Kohli ends retirement speculation with X post Williamson’s association with the LSG squad is not new Notably, it is not the first time that Williamson has been associated with Lucknow Super Giants. He has been part of the franchise with their Durban team in the SA20. Even in the IPL, his appearance is not very regular, even as a veteran. In IPL 2023, playing for the Gujarat Titans (GT), he picked up a knee injury in their first game of the season and played no further part in the competition. In IPL 2024, he played just two games with same team, scoring 27 runs in 27 balls. Recently, he was at The Hundred in England, where Williamson had a good if unspectacular run, scoring 204 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 129.93 for London Spirit, who finished seventh among eight teams. No prior experience as of being a support staff Notably, this is the first time that Williamson has no experience being part of a team’s support staff. However, he is a decorated player in international cricket. He led New Zealand to the 2019 ODI World Cup final and then won the first World Test Championship two years later. Meanwhile, LSG under Justin Langer and captaincy of Rishabh Pant, finished in seventh place in IPL 2025, the same as in IPL 2024. Moreover, in IPL 2022 and 2023, the Lucknow-based franchise finished at third spot, which was also their first two domestic league seasons.