New Zealand Cricket team have emerged as a strong force in the ICC tournaments. Brendon McCullum during his stint as the captain of the side led them to the 2015 World Cup final. This was followed by yet another final appearance in 2019 under Kane Williamson. The Kiwis lost the 2019 World Cup final in heartbreaking circumstances to the English based on the boundary count rule.
Falling short of an ICC double in 2021 –
New Zealand in 2021 won and became the inaugural test champions in the year 2021 by beating India in the final. The same year, they had a chance to do the double by beating Australia in the final of the T20 World Cup. The double though was a pipe dream, as they lost to Australia at the Dubai International Stadium.
Strengths – Explosive top order batters
Martin Guptill is one of the cleanest strikers of the ball and combined with the talents of Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway the kiwis are a formidable unit. Captain Kane Williamson, at number 3 also poses a huge challenge for opposition teams.
Martin Guptill – The 36 year old has played 121 matches and is one of the top 3 run scorers in this format of the game. Guptill has scored 3497 runs with 2 centuries and 20 half centuries with a strike rate of 135. He is adept against the pacers as well as plays well against the spinners. The grounds of Australia should suit his style of play during the T20 World Cup 2022.
Finn Allen – Allen is a aggressive right handed wicket keeping batter who has a strike rate of nearly 170. He is also adept at playing the 360 degree game and has exhibited his class in the 13 games he has played so far for the Kiwis. In those 13 games he has already hit a century and fifty for New Zealand and will be a key player during the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Kane Williamson – What the Kiwi skipper lacks in strike rate, he more than makes it up with his run accumulating. Williamson will be the cornerstone of the Kiwi batting unit during the 2022 T20 World Cup. In 77 matches he has scored, 2096 runs with a strike rate of 124.
Devon Conway – Considered one of the best T20 batters, the T20 World Cup 2022 could just be the stage for Devon Conway. The left hander showed his class for CSK during the TATA IPL 2022 season. Conway has scored 708 runs with 4 fifties in 23 games for the kiwis at a strike rate shade under 140.
Daryl Mitchell – Mitchell, in 2022 created history by scoring 3 successive test tons during the tour of England. the 31 year old is no mug in the shortest format of the game either. In 35 games he has scored 657 runs with 2 half centuries and a strike rate of 142. He is also a deceptive bowler and could play a huge role during the T20 World Cup in 2022 for the Kiwis.
Glenn Philips – The 26 year old is natural stroke maker and is just a shade under the 1000 run mark in his T20 career. Philips will use the 2022 T20 World Cup as a chance to show why he has played 44 games and scored 1 century and 5 half centuries and possess as strike rate of 142 for New Zealand.
Weakness – Lack of finisher
Perhaps one of the biggest weakness which is glaring is the lack of a finisher for the New Zealand team. Michael Bracewell has taken the cricket world by storm in recent months. 2022 T20 World Cup will be the first time he would face some of the better bowlers, than what he has faced so far. The left hander has a strike rate of 206, but has only played 5 games so far in his career.
Jimmy Neesham may have played a lot of games for the Kiwis, but the 32 year old hasn’t got a consistent run in the team. coupled with the fact, Neesham hasn’t really been in the best of form with the bat, leading up to the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Just like Pakistan, the Kiwi lower middle order could pose a problem if some of their top order batters fail to fire in a crucial juncture during the tournament.
Opportunities – Pacer bowling and Kane Williamson’s first chance to win a T20 World Cup
New Zealand have emerged as a major player in the ICC tournaments in the last decade. Williamson with his captaincy and ability to encourage his players, will be mindful of the fact he has a talented team at his disposal. Not only batters, but also he perhaps the most complete pace bowling unit that none of the other teams have. The likes of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne and Mitchell Santner will relish bowling in the Australian conditions. New Zealand perhaps have the most balanced side with the pace of Ferguson and Milne, and the swing of Southee and Boult. Sodhi is a spinner who can run through the sides, while Santner is known for his intelligence with the ball.
Threats – injuries have derailed the Kiwis plus the problem of plenty
The biggest and only threat the Kiwis possess is the injuries their players have suffered. Both Milne and Ferguson haven’t had one calendar year where they have been injury free. The duo who can touch 150 KPH have been frequented with niggles, even someone like Kane Williamson had to miss a large chunk of cricket this year due to injuries.
Another threat that is facing is the problem of plenty, Williamson could perhaps fail to field the right combination with the plethora of talent that he has at his disposal. Williamson is a shrewd customer and 2022 T20 World Cup could be his best chance to win the tournament in the homeground of their fierce rivals.
New Zealand Squad for the T20 World Cup 2022 –
Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Martin Guptill, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boutl, Lockie Fergsuon, Adam Milne and Ish Sodhi.
Captain – Kane Williamson
Wicket keeper – Glenn Phillips
Previous record – runners up 2021, Semi finalists in 2007 and 2016.