Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey
New Zealand 2025 Champions Trophy squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young
NZ Predicted Starting XI: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, William O’Rourke
New Zealand in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup
- Matches played: 9
- Matches won: 4
- Matches lost: 4
- No result: 1
- W/L ratio – 1.000
- Batting run rate – 5.82
Most runs for NZ in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup:
- Will Young (RHB): 456 runs, AVG: 65.14, SR: 93.63, 100s: 1, 50s: 3
- Mark Chapman (LHB): 272 runs, AVG: 45.33, SR: 99.27, 100s: 0, 50s: 3
- Rachin Ravindra (LHB): 178 runs, AVG: 29.66, SR: 117.88, 100s: 0, 50s: 1
Most wickets for NZ in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup:
- Jacob Duffy (right-arm pace): 11 wickets, AVG: 23.90, ECO: 5.47
- Matt Henry (right-arm pace): 9 wickets, AVG: 10.33, ECO: 3.72
- Will O’Rourke (right-arm pace): 8 wickets, AVG: 31.62, ECO: 5.60
New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 Analysis: How far can the Black Caps go?
Santner Leads New Zealand Through Transition
New Zealand is in a transition phase, with Mitchell Santner taking over the captaincy from Kane Williamson. Santner will lead New Zealand for the first time in a global event and will be able to draw on the experience of players like Williamson and Tom Latham.
The veteran pace duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult have retired from international cricket. The absence of the latter, in particular, means New Zealand faces a downgrade in their new-ball wicket-taking ability, which has long been one of their greatest strengths. Nevertheless, the Black Caps still possess the resources to navigate this change, and with their knack for punching above their weight in ICC tournaments, they could sneak their way into the last-four stage of the competition.
Rising Young Talent in New Zealand’s Pace Attack
With Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke, New Zealand boasts two young fast bowlers known for their pace and ability to extract bounce.
“He’s one of those guys who, when you look at places like Pakistan, pure speed is what you’re looking for, and he certainly has that. A young tearaway is always exciting to see, and we’re very pleased to have him in the squad,” said Head Coach Gary Stead, speaking about Ben Sears.
Nathan Smith, another promising young cricketer, could prove to be a valuable seam-bowling option. He is also a useful lower-order batsman.
With Sears, O’Rourke, and Smith included, there was no place in the main squad for Jacob Duffy, despite his breakthrough season in international white-ball cricket.
“It’s a tough decision,” Stead said. “Jacob Duffy has been probably the one that people would say is hard done by. He’s been very very good in what he’s played for us. I think the way to look at it, though, is that if some of these guys, perhaps like a Lockie Ferguson, were available, Jacob Duffy may not have got the opportunity, so for us it’s a real positive story that although Jake’s missed [out], it’s still positive that we’re growing that depth long-term for our team.”
Meanwhile, the responsibility falls on Matt Henry, who’s averaging 23.8 in ODIs since 2020, to lead the pace attack. Lockie Ferguson, now one of the more experienced bowlers in the set-up, will add extra pace to the arsenal.
A potential concern for New Zealand is Matt Henry’s injury history. If New Zealand were to lose him, they’d not only be without a high-quality new-ball bowler – a department already weakened by Boult’s retirement – but they’d also be forced to rely on a largely inexperienced pace unit. While O’Rourke has shown promise, he still grapples with control issues, and this new-look attack could struggle, especially in Asian conditions.
New Zealand also lacks elite death bowling, which could pose a significant challenge if they fail to pick wickets with the new ball or during the middle overs.
Spin Depth: A Solid Core, but Missing a Wrist Spinner
The skipper, Mitchell Santner, who can also provide valuable lower-order runs, will lead the spin attack.
Santner has mastered the art of subtle variation, combined with unwavering control. Among contemporary fingerspinners, few vary their pace as much as he does, ranging from the mid-70s to the upper 90s. The dip he obtains causes the ball to pitch slightly shorter than the batter expects, often enticing a false shot. Additionally, he uses the crease cleverly and varies his release angle to keep batters guessing. All of this makes him a bowler to watch out for on the slower pitches of Asia, as he demonstrated in the 2023 World Cup, where he was New Zealand’s highest wicket-taker.
Glenn Phillips, now an improved spinner, and Michael Bracewell, another all-rounder, will join him in the spin department. Rachin Ravindra, who sent down 65.4 overs in the 2023 World Cup, will provide a fourth option. There’s a strong possibility that all four could feature together in the same XI.
One small point, however, is that they lack a wrist spinner in the squad, which could limit their wicket-taking ability in the middle overs, particularly if opposition teams navigate the Powerplay with minimal damage.
New Zealand’s Batting Blueprint
The batting unit will once again centre around Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, and Devon Conway. Tom Latham will take on wicketkeeping duties. There are no changes from the 2023 World Cup, though the in-form Will Young could potentially replace Conway in the XI, given Conway’s recent dip in form.
Daryl Mitchell is one of the world’s best No. 4 batters in this format. Since the start of 2023, he has accumulated 947 runs at an average of 45.09 and a strike rate of over 100, including 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries while batting at No. 4 in ODI cricket.
He has excellent ability against spin; able to play square of the wicket on both sides with sweeps and reverse sweeps, and can launch powerful sixes down the ground. Since the start of 2023, he has scored over 500 runs at an average of 56.67 and a strike rate of 96.23 against spin in the middle overs (11-40) in ODI cricket.
Latham, who plays the sweep shot effectively, is also a solid player of spin, averaging over 50 against spin in ODIs in Asia. Along with Mitchell and Williamson, they form a strong and reliable middle order for New Zealand.
While New Zealand’s lower order isn’t the most dynamic against pace, it remains competent and functional. Phillips has the power, and Bracewell can also prove to be dangerous, as demonstrated by his impressive record in the limited sample of 101 balls faced in overs 41-50 against pace in ODIs, where he scored 185 runs, getting out just twice (AVG: 92.5, SR: 183.2). Santner at No. 8 adds further depth to the lineup and has the ability to chip in with impactful cameos, as he showed against the Netherlands in the World Cup match in Hyderabad.
New Zealand 2025 Champions Trophy SWOT Summary
STRENGTHS:
- Strong and experienced middle-order batting.
- Dynamic bowling duo in the middle overs; high-pace hit-the-deck (Ferguson) and left-arm spin (Santner).
- Proven track record of coming together as a unit and punching above their weight in ICC tournaments.
WEAKNESSES:
- Vulnerability in death bowling.
- Absence of a wrist spinner, limiting their wicket-taking ability in the middle overs.
- Lower order’s limited range and potential struggles against high-quality pace.
OPPORTUNITIES:
- Early big tournament exposure and opportunity for young pacers like Sears, O’Rourke and Nathan Smith to establish themselves.
- Potential for Santner to grow into his role as a captain and build a new era of New Zealand cricket.
THREATS:
- Injury to injury prone Matt Henry could severely impact bowling resources.
- Pressure on inexperienced bowlers in high-stake tournament matches.
- Potential challenges for young pacers adapting to subcontinental pitches and conditions.
Written by Sparsh Telang. Follow on X on @_cricketsparsh
