Hopes of a cracking start to PSL 2025 for Karachi Kings have hit a roadblock, as one of the franchise's star signings, Kane Williamson, will miss a sizeable chunk of the team's campaign.

Confirming this was Salman Iqbal, the owner of the team, as he revealed that the New Zealand cricket legend won't be available for the first five matches of the tournament.

Williamson's absence from the opening games is a significant setback for the franchise, as they held high expectations for their star player. As per the schedule, the 33-year-old will be missing important games against Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, and Peshawar Zalmi.

Williamson's unavailability for the early matches is a big blow to the franchise, which had big hopes for their marquee player. As per the calendar, the 33-year-old will be missing important games against Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, and Peshawar Zalmi.

Although the reason for Williamson's non-availability has not been made public, he is understood to be keeping up with commentary commitments for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Compounding this is that Williamson had just been recovering from a quad strain picked up while playing in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which led him to miss Pakistan's T20I and ODI series against New Zealand. This injury, coupled with his media obligations, has resulted in his late arrival to the PSL.

With Williamson out of the picture, the spotlight is now on new captain David Warner, who will be leading Karachi Kings in pursuit of victory. Warner, joined by overseas signings Tim Seifert and Adam Milne, will need to rise to the occasion to fill the leadership gap left by Williamson and lead the team, which ended fifth in PSL 2024.

The Karachi Kings' PSL 2025 season will officially get underway on April 12, when they play the Multan Sultans in the opening double-header of the season. Although fans will have to wait out Williamson's highly anticipated debut, there is optimism that once he arrives with the team, his experience and leadership will be the spark that gets Karachi Kings' season started.