David Warner penned a heartfelt Instagram tribute to Kane Williamson following the New Zealand captain's retirement from international cricket. Warner praised his former SunRisers Hyderabad teammate as a humble, respectful, and gentleman cricketer who consistently played the game in the right spirit. Warner expressed that it was an absolute privilege to play both alongside and against Williamson. Warner concluded his emotional post by calling him one of the "genuine good blokes of world cricket" and an honored friend that signifies their friendship and mutual respect for one another.

"Kano, it's been an absolute privilege to play both alongside you and against you over the years. The runs the records and the achievements speak for themselves but what has always stood out most to me is the person behind it all. You've been one of the genuine good blokes of world cricket, humble, respectful, and someone who played the game in the right spirit every single time you walked onto the field," Warner posted on his official Instagram account.

"Whether we were teammates or opponents, I always loved sharing the field with you because you brought out the best in everyone around you. Congratulations on an incredible career mate. It's been an honour to call you a teammate an opponent, and most importantly, a friend. Wishing you and the family all the best for whatever comes next," the Aussie batter added

The 35-year-old New Zealand great Kane Williamson ended his 16-year international career midway through the Test series against England. He previously retired from Twenty20 Internationals.

Kane Williamson’s retirement brings end to an era in New Zealand Cricket

Kane Williamson concluded his legendary international career as New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer across all formats, amassing an incredible 19,346 runs in 378 matches. Widely considered one of the greatest cricketers the country has ever produced, he holds both the most Test runs (9,515) and the most international centuries (48) for the Black Caps.

He holds numerous national records and has won the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal a record four times. Under his leadership, the Black Caps won the 2021 World Test Championship and reached multiple ICC tournament finals, although remaining to be that tragic hero who failed to win an ICC trophy in the shorter format of the game.