“His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team,” Goenka wrote while welcoming Williamson, the 35-year-old former New Zealand captain, to the Super Giants setup.
New Zealand veteran Kane Williamson has joined the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a strategic adviser ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka announced on social media on Thursday. Alongside the appointment, the team confirmed Carl Crowe as their new spin-bowling coach, while Justin Langer and Bharat Arun will continue in their roles as head coach and fast-bowling coach, respectively.
“His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team,” Goenka wrote while welcoming Williamson, the 35-year-old former New Zealand captain, to the Super Giants setup.
Williamson, expressing his excitement about the new role, 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.”
The move reunites Williamson with the Super Giants franchise, having previously featured for their sister team, Durban’s Super Giants, in the SA20 league. Although he has not officially retired from international cricket, Williamson, who last played for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final against India in March, has opted for a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket, meaning his international appearances will likely be limited.
He will miss the upcoming T20I series against England but is aiming to return for the ODI leg, with the first match scheduled in his hometown of Tauranga on October 26.
Despite being a seasoned IPL campaigner, Williamson’s recent stints in the league have been quiet. In IPL 2023 with the Gujarat Titans (GT), he sustained a knee injury in the first match and missed the rest of the season. The following year, he played only two matches, scoring 27 runs, and went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction.
More recently, the right-hander featured in The Hundred for London Spirit, where he scored 204 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 129.93.
Looking ahead to the new season, Langer underlined the team’s determination to bounce back after finishing seventh in IPL 2025. “We enter every IPL season full of hope and expectation — 2026 is no exception, and we are excited about the work we have ahead of us as we continue building a franchise into one that the Goenka family, our players, sponsors, supporters, and fans are all immensely proud of,” he said.
“The work hasn’t stopped since the end of last season as we prepare to make our mark on this season’s IPL. The hope, expectation, and passion for LSG is growing strongly. We are looking forward to strengthening our squad in the coming months. And, we look forward to seeing Ekana bathed in blue when the season kicks off.”
Although this marks Williamson’s first stint in a support staff role, he brings immense experience and respect as a leader, having guided New Zealand to the 2019 ODI World Cup final and the inaugural World Test Championship title in 2021.
Under captain Rishabh Pant and coach Justin Langer, LSG finished seventh in IPL 2025, matching their position from the previous season, after securing third place in their debut campaigns in 2022 and 2023.
Williamson’s addition comes amid a coaching reshuffle, with Crowe becoming the second former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) staff member to join LSG after Bharat Arun’s arrival earlier this year. Crowe had been part of KKR’s coaching setup for multiple seasons.
Following Zaheer Khan’s quiet exit, LSG have yet to confirm whether assistant coaches Lance Klusener and Vijay Dahiya will continue with the team for the upcoming season.