New Zealand arrive quietly, but not lightly

Snapshot

There is less noise around this New Zealand side, but not for lack of experience or clarity. In a post-Kane Williamson era, it arrives as a settled group under Mitchell Santner, captaining for the first time at a World Cup but supported by seasoned tournament players. The quiet owes more to recent results, notably a 4-1 defeat to India, when New Zealand looked some distance off the pace, even if few sides have escaped that feeling against an Indian team this dominant. The memory of the last T20 World Cup also lingers, where losses to West Indies and Afghanistan ended their campaign prematurely.

That disappointment still sits close. Head coach Rob Walter spoke of the "hurt" during the squad announcement, placing it against New Zealand's self-image as "perennial semi-finalists and finalists" and the standards that come with it. This World Cup, then, is less about reinvention and more about response, a chance to reassert credibility, align reputation with returns and, as Walter put it, not just be better but "represent well" again.

The squad, and what it tells us

Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

It has taken careful planning to assemble this squad given the injuries New Zealand have managed in the build-up, but the outcome is a notably experienced and well-covered group. Jacob Duffy, 31, is the only player set to feature in his first senior men's World Cup. Four of the six all-rounders are spin-oriented, while a strong pace group, further reinforced by the return of Lockie Ferguson, ensures depth, especially with Ferguson and Henry likely to take short-term paternity leave during the tournament. The omissions of Zak Foulkes, Bevan Jacobs and Tim Robinson further underline a preference for proven tournament players.

The road to the World Cup

Since the last T20 World Cup, New Zealand's results have followed a clear pattern. They have won 16 of 30 matches overall, but against India, England and Australia they have managed just one win in 10 games. Away from that group, the returns are far stronger, with series wins over Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka, and a clean sweep in a tri-series in Zimbabwe featuring South Africa, even as losses to Australia and England at home and a series defeat in India keep expectations in check. Individually, Tim Seifert has been their most productive batter in this cycle, while Jacob Duffy has led the bowling returns.

Last five T20Is: L-L-L-W-L (latest)

The way they play

New Zealand's approach is clear: they want to go hard at the top. They looked a step behind India for much of the recently-concluded series, but the arrival of Finn Allen in Thiruvananthapuram changed that. The pairing of Tim Seifert, their most prolific batter since the last World Cup, and Allen, their most destructive, gives the batting line-up an early edge. The middle order of Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman lends balance and flexibility. Mitchell Santner's form with the bat lower down the order is an added bonus.

The numbers against spin, often the deciding factor in subcontinental conditions, stand out. Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, New Zealand have struck at 142.61 against spin in T20Is, second only to India among Full Member teams, and have the lowest dot-ball percentage (28.1%) in that period.

Who can bend a match in 10 balls

Finn Allen is the most obvious answer. Since 2024, among players with at least 1,000 T20 runs, his strike rate of 187.01 trails only Abhishek Sharma, placing him firmly among the game's elite power-hitters. He has lived up to that billing in the BBL, scoring 466 runs at 184.18 and hitting 38 sixes, the most in a single edition, underlining how quickly he can flip momentum.

Scheduling

New Zealand play three of their four group matches in Chennai, travelling only once to Ahmedabad for their game against South Africa. The limited movement and familiarity with Chennai, where they also played during the 2023 World Cup, should work in their favour. Conditions at this time of year are milder than peak summer, and while World Cup pitches are expected to be flatter, Chennai's mix of red and black-soil surfaces can still bring spin into play.

Banana-peel fixture

New Zealand's opening match against Afghanistan in Chennai has the potential to be tricky. They lost to Afghanistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup, and this time meet them at another venue where the surface can offer some turn, keeping the margin for error narrow early in the tournament.

What a good World Cup looks like

Having fallen short of the semifinals last time, anything less now would feel like a miss. The noise is lower, the pressure different, and these are circumstances few teams know how to use better than New Zealand.