Kane Williamson appointed as strategic advisor for LSG ahead of IPL 2026
Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is set to join the IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants, as a strategic advisor ahead of the 2026 edition of the IPL. Williamson, who has been part of the Super Giants' universe in the past in the SA20, went unsold in the IPL last year. Despite being an active international cricketer, Williamson has been roped in for a backroom staff role and will be working alongside the likes of Justin Langer, Vijay Dahiya, Bharat Arun and Lance Klusener, hoping for a fruitful next season ahead.
"Kane has been a part of the Super Giants family and it’s an absolute delight to welcome him in his new role as Strategic Advisor for Lucknow Super Giants. His leadership, strategic insight, deep understanding of the game, and ability to inspire players make him an invaluable addition to the team," RPSG Group chairman and LSG owner, Sanjiv Goenka, wrote on X (previously Twitter).
Williamson will technically be replacing Zaheer Khan, who parted ways with the franchise after being a mentor for just one season. The 35-year-old played for the Durban's Super Giants last year in the SA20 and scored 233 runs in seven innings.
Justin Langer, whose two-year contract expired after IPL 2025, has been retained in the role. According to a report, Carl Crowe, who was previously involved with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the same role over the past two seasons, has been appointed as the spin-bowling coach. Williamson recently captained the London Spirit, with Langer as the head coach and Goenka mentioned that the process of shortlisting him began three months ago in the UK, when he was also there for the Hundred, having invested in the Manchester Originals franchise.
"After I had a meeting with him in London, Kane and head coach Justin Langer met and then Kane and Rishabh Pant had a long discussion. Then we all came to the conclusion that this is a very good choice,” Goenka was quoted as saying in the report.
"I have interacted with Kane over several years, they've been small to begin with, but I have walked away with a great feeling about the human being, about the leader, about the player's person that he is, about just his frankness, his openness and the way he motivates players," he added.
After finishing in seventh place in IPL 2025, the Super Giants have made a few changes to their coaching staff and will be keen to get better results in IPL 2026, with Rishabh Pant at the helm.
