New Delhi: As India and New Zealand square off in the ongoing white-ball leg comprising three ODIs and five T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India, one big question has caught fans’ attention, why is Kane Williamson not playing in the India vs New Zealand ODI series?

The answer lies in franchise cricket commitments and contract choices.

Kane Williamson is missing the ODI series against India because he is currently participating in the SA20 league in South Africa, where he represents the Durban Super Giants. The New Zealand batting great has been opting out of central contracts since 2024, choosing instead to manage his workload while balancing cricket and family time.

Williamson had earlier explained that he prefers taking decisions series by series, keeping personal and professional balance in mind. Speaking at a press conference in November 2025, he said, “It’s almost series-by-series… after this, there’s a pretty large block away from the group as well, and there’ll be more conversations had. Yeah, so just kind of cross those bridges as we come, and like I mentioned earlier, just with the balance in mind for the young family.”

New Zealand also miss Santner and Latham

New Zealand are already without their full-time white-ball captain Mitchell Santner, who has been rested because of injury. Michael Bracewell is leading the side in his absence, while Tom Latham is unavailable due to personal reasons.

India deal with injury setback

India, meanwhile, are without Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, both rested for the series. The hosts suffered another blow when Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the ODIs after suffering a rib injury during practice.