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The upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is all set to take place in the USA and West Indies, which will begin on June 1. A total of 20 teams will be playing in this tournament, and the first stage will be the group round. Every group will have five teams each, and only two can make it through the next round. New Zealand are in Group C with West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, and PNG.
Kane Williamson is the most experienced captain in this tournament and will be leading New Zealand in this mega event. The Black Caps will play their first game on June 7 against Afghanistan in Guyana. It will be an important game to start the tournament with a win. New Zealand have a number of players that have been part of the team for years now, and the squad is looking pretty good. So let’s do the SWOT analysis of New Zealand for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee
New Zealand’s Strength for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
1. Settled Batting Unit
When you see the squads of all the teams, you will find a few new faces that will be part of the playing XI. But with New Zealand, they haven’t taken any risks and announced a team that has been playing in the ICC tournaments for the last 2–3 times. Devon Conway and Finn Allen will give left and right-hand options at the top. The middle order will be boosted with Kane Williamson, Darly Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, and Glenn Phillips. This batting lineup looks pretty settled, and every batter knows their role very well. So they will be ready for any kind of challenge.
2. All-round bowling unit
Trent Boult needs no introduction to the game, and it is sure that he single-handedly will win New Zealand some games with his new ball spell. Apart from that, they have Tim Southee, who has taken the most wickets in T20 internationals. The spin departments will be led by Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, who have loads of experience. Meanwhile, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson give the team some firepower with their speed. Hence, this looks like a good bowling attack to have.
New Zealand’s Weaknesses for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
1. Lack of finishers
There is no doubt that New Zealand are equipped with some experienced batters in the middle, but when it comes to finishing the games, you won’t find an established finisher for this team. Glenn Phillips and James Neesham will be given this opportunity, as will Mark Chapman. But fitting these three into the playing XI is not possible. Hence, New Zealand have to adjust with their batters, but they will be facing problems while scoring runs or chasing the score in the final overs because there is no specialist finisher in the team.
2. Lack of Death-bowling option
If scoring runs in the final overs is more important than taking wickets, containing the batters is equally important in a big tournament. That is where New Zealand might have to sweat it out. Bowlers like Trent Boult, Tim Southee, or Matt Henry are new ball bowlers and don’t have a great record at the back end of the innings. New Zealand will use Lockie Ferguson along with James Neesham in the final overs, and these bowlers have always been expensive. Hence, that area can change in big matches when the pressure is on. Hence, the new ball bowlers need to do well and take wickets upfront because they can’t rely in the final overs.
Threat for New Zealand in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
New Zealand have been one of the most consistent teams in the last 6-7 years when it comes to the ICC event. They have played multiple finals and semi-finals but have yet to get their hands on the ICC trophy in white-ball cricket. Because they failed during the knockout stages. That is where they need to plan it better. Adding to that, New Zealand have a lack of individual match-winners. As a team, they are pretty solid, but you can pick 3–4 players who can single-handedly take them to victory. That means if one piece of the pack had a bad day, then the whole team would be affected by it.
Opportunities ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
New Zealand have a great chance to break the jinx that they had at the ICC event. The Black Caps have played the finals of the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups and the T20 World Cup 2021. Apart from that, they made many semi-final appearances, but they are still desperate to win the title. That is where they can do well this time around. After looking at their current team’s combination, they have a good chance of making it to the semis, but then it will depend on how they play. So if they can raise the bar one step more, they have the team to be the new champion.
Strongest Playing XI for New Zealand in ICC T20 World Cup 2024 (Predicted)
Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamsom (c), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Matt Henry
