DTVHINDI
New Zealand have played 36 T20 matches since the last T20 World Cup and have not made too many changes to the squad from the 2022 edition. With Martin Guptill failing to find a place, the selectors decided to go with Rachin Ravindra. There have been two changes in the Kiwi team this season compared to the 2022 T20 World Cup. Kane Williamson will play his sixth T20 World Cup while Tim Southee is expected to play for the seventh time in the mega event.
On the other hand, for Trent Bolt, this will be his fifth World Cup, which is now played every two years. The Kiwi team for this World Cup has a good mix of young players and experienced players, so the team will want to win this T20 World Cup at all costs. In this article today, we will look at New Zealand’s strengths, weaknesses and what can pose a threat to their team.
Strength
Finn Allen and Devon Conway are set to open the batting for the Blackcaps and with the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips in the middle order – New Zealand’s batting order looks very strong for this World Cup. Trent Boult can prove to be very lethal with the new ball and Tim Southee can take some wickets in the middle overs along with the two spinners – Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi.
Bolt and Southee are not that good in the death overs and there is a risk of scoring a lot of runs against them. While Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips can contribute in bowling if needed. The team does not have any quality spinners. In such a situation, bowling can prove to be a weak link for the Kiwi team.
Opportunity
New Zealand have not won the T20 World Cup yet and so they would like to win this tournament. West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea are the other four teams in the group and the Black Caps will try to reach the Super Eight stage without any difficulty. The Kiwi team has always performed better than expected in ICC tournaments. The Kiwi team always surprises everyone by reaching the semi-finals and something similar is expected to happen this season as well.
Threat
Although New Zealand has always performed above expectations in ICC tournaments, they can no longer be considered the dark horse of the T20 World Cup. Having played the ICC ODI World Cup finals in 2015 and 2019 and the T20 World Cup final in 2021, the Kiwi team is one of the most consistent teams in white ball cricket. However, the Kiwi team fails in knockout matches. In such a situation, they must be fearing the same this season as well.
