Kane Williamson names two Indians, snubs Sai Sudharsan in hunt for nest ‘fab four’ stars

New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, echoing the legacy of Martin Crowe, has identified five cricketers he believes will form the next generation of elite players, notably including two promising Indian talents.

New Delhi: In 2014, New Zealand cricket great Martin Crowe accurately predicted the future success of four young cricketers—Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root—dubbing them the “Fab Four.” At that stage, these cricketers were relatively new in the sport, but they went on to lead their national teams (Australia, India, New Zealand, and England) in Test cricket and became legends, winning in all types of matches.

The careers of Williamson, Steve Smith, and Virat Kohli are transitioning. Williamson’s central contract has ended, Smith has retired from ODIs, and Kohli has retired from Test and T20I cricket. Consequently, none currently captain their respective national teams.

As the careers of the current top four players wind down, speculation is rising about their successors. Williamson has identified five players as potential replacements.

Williamson selected two Indian players, along with one teammate and one player each from England and Australia.

“The players that come to mind in terms of multi-format are: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rachin Ravindra, Harry Brook. And also Cam Green. Those are all outstanding players and have shown fantastic moments in all formats. All young and their games are just growing,” said Williamson in an interaction with ESPN Cricinfo.

Four prominent international cricketers, already successful across various formats, are transitioning into leadership roles. Recently, Brook assumed the England white-ball captaincy, and Gill became the Indian Test team captain.

Since the 2025 Champions Trophy final, in which New Zealand lost to India, Williamson has not participated in any international cricket matches.

Williamson’s next appearance is anticipated in a T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe next month, also involving South Africa. This will be followed by two Test matches between New Zealand and Zimbabwe.