New Zealand’s first game could shape up their entire tournament as they face off against their arch-rivals Australia. The last time these two teams met in a World Cup fixture was the final of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup where New Zealand lost the game and the trophy as well.
Starting as the underdogs are nothing new for the New Zealand team, in most tournaments, they are considered to be a strong contender but not tournament winners. However, the team has proven time and time again that they shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Although New Zealand always come together as a unit to give serious competition to other teams, they haven’t played much T20 cricket this year which could affect their performance.
But you still can’t rule them out as they have some top players in their squad including their captain Kane Williamson, the recent IPL star Devon Conway, and Martin Guptill.
New Zealand also have some of the top bowlers in international cricket including Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Lockie Ferguson. Taking all the factors into consideration as well as their familiarity with Australian grounds, New Zealand will give tough competition to other teams in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
New Zealand’s Odds To Win T20 World Cup 2022
As per Bet365, New Zealand stands third among the contenders to win the trophy with T20 World Cup betting odds of 4.00 after India and England.
Considering that New Zealand has never been favorites to win ICC fixtures but they still manage to reach semi-finals and finals, these odds seem apt for the underdogs.
T20 World Cup Betting Sites
New Zealand Players To Watch Out For
Devon Conway
Devon Conway may not have much of a record in comparison to other players but the attacking left-hander has proven his worth in many T20 leagues and his recent performance in the IPL 2022 makes him a player to look out for.
Conway currently holds a position in the top 10 of ICC Men’s T20 ranking making him the only New Zealand player other than Martin Guptill to be on the list.
With his hard-hitting prowess and smart strokeplay, Conway would be the perfect match for the big Australian grounds and may also come out as the best batsman for New Zealand this year.
Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson is one of the best batsmen in all three formats of cricket amassing runs in T20 leagues as well as international cricket. However, he is going through a tough phase right now due to an elbow injury which also resulted in a forgetful IPL season.
Considering that he scored the most runs for New Zealand in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup at an average of 43.20, he will surely bounce back.
But even if we miss out on Kane the batsman, he has been one of the best captains for New Zealand taking his team to two World Cup finals and winning the ICC World Test Championship.
Lockie Ferguson
Lockie Ferguson missed out on last year’s World Cup but he is sure to feature this year backed by his stellar performance in the last two IPL seasons.
The bowler is known for his fastballs constantly clocking over 150kmph which makes it hard to hit him.
Taking into consideration the Australian conditions which are best suited for fast bowlers, Lockie would be a force to be reckoned with and will definitely trouble many batsmen and be an incredible asset in New Zealand’s campaign.
New Zealand T20 World Cup Squad
Squad: Kane Williamson (C), Martin Guptill, Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Glenn Philips, Tom Latham, Tim Seifert (wk), Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry
New Zealand’s Schedule For 2022 T20 World Cup
New Zealand – Super 12, Group 1
Matches
22 Oct – vs. Australia
26 Oct – vs. Afghanistan
29 Oct – vs. TBA
1 Nov – vs England
4 Nov – vs TBA
New Zealand Prediction For T20 World Cup 2022
In recent years, New Zealand has shown that they are real contenders when it comes to ICC World Cup events even with the odds stacked against them.
So, if the team performs the same way they have done till now, we can expect New Zealand to be strong contenders in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
However, there are a few factors that put New Zealand at a disadvantage, one of them is that the team hasn’t played any T20 matches with any of the top teams since the last T20 World Cup.
Also, they will face off against formidable teams such as England, Australia, and Afghanistan in their group matches which will surely make things difficult for them.
According to Bet365, New Zealand will be starting the ICC T20 World Cup with odds of 4.00 with an implied probability of 25% to win this World Cup. They are facing Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final.
Taking all the factors into consideration as well as their history in World Cups, we can see them reaching the semi-finals at least but the odds of winning the T20 World Cup 2022 are low.
New Zealand’s Performance At The Last T20 World Cup 2021
New Zealand did not enter the T20 World Cup 2021 as favorites or even the top contenders but once again the team surprised everyone by winning 4 out of their 5 group matches and finished 2nd in the group stage.
The team also handed a compelling defeat to England in the semi-final to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2021 final but they ultimately lost to Australia in the final.
The performance given by New Zealand in the last World Cup was one of a champion team and they will hope to recreate it in this World Cup and go all the way.
New Zealand’s History In Previous T20 World Cups
- 2007 – Eliminated in the semi-final, lost to Pakistan
- 2009 – Eliminated in Round 2
- 2010 – Eliminated in Round 2
- 2012 – Eliminated in Round 2
- 2014 – Eliminated in Round 2
- 2016 – Eliminated in the semi-final, lost to England
- 2021 – Runners-up, lost to Australia in final
