Former New Zealand captain and talismanic batter Kane Williamson has added another feather in his illustrious ODI career in the second match of the ODI tri-series against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday, February 10. Kane Williamson returned to his form as he played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 133 off 113 balls to help New Zealand chase down a massive 305-run target set by South Africa. He formed a crucial 187-run partnership with Devon Conway (97 off 107 balls) for the second wicket to lift Kiwis from 50/1 after Will Young’s dismissal to 237/1 before Conway’s stay at the crease ended. Glenn Phillips too chipped in with a valuable innings of 28* off 32 balls. Also read: SA vs NZ ODI Tri-Series: Matthew Breetzke scripts history, becomes 1st player to achieve THIS milestoneDuring his 133-run knock, Kane Williamson breached the 7000-run ODI mark and became the fastest New Zealand player to achieve this milestone in just 159 innings. He overtook Martin Guptill’s previous record of 186 innings to 7000 runs in ODIs. Also, Williamson became the second-fastest to accomplish this milestone in the shorter format of the game, overtaking Team India star batter Virat Kohli’s record of reaching 7000 ODI runs in 161 innings. Kane Williamson made his return to ODI cricket for the first time since New Zealand’s semifinal against India at the Wankhede Stadium in 2023. In the first match of the ODI tri-series against Pakistan, Williamson marked his return to shorter format after over a year with an innings of 58 off 89 balls to help New Zealand post 330/6, which was successfully defended by the bowlers by bundling out the hosts for 252. In the second match, Williamson continued his rich vein of form with his masterclass knock. The 34-year-old ended his five-year century drought in ODI cricket. Before this match, the last time Kane Williamson scored a century was against West Indies in the 2019 World Cup. Kane Williamson returns to form ahead of Champions Trophy 2025With Kane Williamson scoring his 14th ODI century, it has indicated that New Zealand talismanic batter has returned to form ahead of Champions Trophy 2025. This was a big relief for New Zealand Cricket management as Williamson’s performance reaffirms his importance in the batting line-up. Kane Williamson is the second leading run-getter for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, amassing 345 runs, including a century and three fifties, at an average of 69 in six matches. Williamson has been a consistent performer in the ODI cricket for New Zealand ever since making his debut in 2010. His return to form will be crucial as New Zealand prepare for Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to take place in Pakistan with a hybrid model in place from February 19 to March 9. New Zealand are clubbed in Group A alongside Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. The Black Caps led by Mitchell Santner will begin their quest for Champions Trophy triumph against Pakistan at the National Cricket Stadium in Karachi on February 19.Also read: ICC Champions Trophy: Not Australia or England, Muttiah Muralitharan picks THESE arch-rivals as favourites