Dark horse, underachiever, punching above their weight, and contenders are some of the terms you would probably associate with New Zealand in every ICC event that happens. The Kiwis or Blackcaps as they are referred have not yet gone to an ICC tournament as favourites. The reason being that they have won only two ICC trophies to date - one the Champions Trophy in 2000 edition, and another a World Test Championship Final (WTC) in 2021. This time also, New Zealand enter the CT as one of the contenders and not as favorites.
The Mitchell Santner-led side are placed in Group A - alongside India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. While the critics have picked Asian rivals India and Pakistan to go through to the next round, taking New Zealand lightly could prove to be fatal for the three Asian teams in Group A. New Zealand are in a rich vein of form in ODIs, as they outclassed Pakistan and South Africa in the recent ODI Tri-Series. New Zealand will kick off their CT campaign by taking on Pakistan in the opening game on Wednesday, February 19.
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New Zealand's Selected 15 For ICC Champions Trophy
Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway(wk), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young
New Zealand have been hit hard by injuries as after Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears is now ruled out of the global event due to a hamstring tear. Jacob Duffy has replaced the pacer in the 15-member squad. The Kiwis have managed to retain the core group of the squad that last featured in the 50-over World Cup in 2023. There is also a nice blend of youth and experience among the group.
Probable Playing 11
Devon Conway, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Nathan Smith, William ORourke
Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah Injured! Mitchell Starc Withdraws: Check out the Champions Trophy 2025 Updated Squads
Bowling Attack Analysis
Despite Ferguson and Sears being unavailable, New Zealand have one of the better bowling attacks in the CT, as they showed recently in the ODI Tri-Series. Matt Henry will lead the pace attack and has the very impressive William ORourke and Nathan Smith for company. While Henry is meticulous with his line and lengths, ORourke and Smith are more of the hit-the-deck kind of bowlers. The former is in impressive form as well, as he picked up six wickets in the ODI Tri-Series. The Kiwis are also well-equipped in the spin department, with Santner, Bracewell, and Phillips bowling in the middle stages of the innings.
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Batting Attack Analysis
New Zealand's batting will yet again rely on their talisman Kane Willamson, who is in a rich vein of form. The former skipper was the second-highest run-getter in the ODI Tri-Series, scoring 225 runs. He will play the anchor role in the team. The squad also has explosive hitters like Mitchell, Phillips, and Latham. These three Kiwi batters if set, can tear apart any bowling attack. The side will be hoping they fire in unison.
Final Rating: 8/10
New Zealand have managed to assemble a good squad, which has a lot of all-rounders and powerful hitters. However, all those will count for nothing if they don't cash in the key moments under pressure during knockout games. Senior players like Williamson, Santner, and Latham will have to play key roles if New Zealand has to make it into the top four. With current form, the Santner-led side should be able to go past the group stage.
