New Zealand captain
Kane Williamson’s brilliant 85-run knock off 48 balls could not carry the day
for the team in the T20 World Cup final, but the skipper’s innings will certainly
be chronicled in cricketing history. New Zealand were struggling having started
slow until Williamson came into the crease and blasted the team to a very competitive
total of 172 for four. With the knock, Kane Williamson surpassed Kumar Sangakkara
to have the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final.

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Williamson’s knock
was appreciated across the cricketing fraternity. Former India cricketer Wasim
Jaffer wrote on Twitter with great appreciation about how the Kiwi skipper took
the attack to the Australian bowlers in the second half of his innings with precision
stroke-play and minimum risks.

“Kane Williamson
doesn’t hurt you with power, when he plays it’s like death by a thousand cuts…literally.
What a joy to watch a champion batsman at the height of his prowess come to the
party on a big stage,” Jaffer wrote on Twitter.

A particular shot
by Williamson that sent a full-toss ball out of the boundary had Indian spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin write, “How on earth did Kane Williamson get that high full
toss away for a boundary in front of mid-wicket.”

Meanwhile,
Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan summed up Kane Williamson’s innings with almost
the best subcontinental expression ever:

Despite New
Zealand setting the highest-ever total in a T20 World Cup final, Australia
managed to beat their neighbours. For the Aussies, Mitchell Marsh’s scintillating
77 carried the day.

Following his team’s
defeat, Williamson, in his characteristic genial manner, said, “There was a lot
of heart shown always nice to get to the big dance. But credit to Australia
again. Some high hopes coming in, some good cricket played, so we’re feeling it
a bit,” Williamson said at the post-match presentation ceremony.