2024 T20 World Cup: New Zealand Blackcaps Basics & Notebook

The T20 World Cup is approaching and we have the basic things you need to know about New Zealand's squad. Lots of storylines, selections and other angles have been covered in previous yarns so check those out as well.

Finn Allen

  • T20I: 25.72avg/163.6sr

  • T20: 29.65avg/168.93sr

Deep In The Mangroves

Allen loves to whack a cricket ball. His T20I batting strike-rate is ranked 12th in the world (250+ balls faced) and his T20 batting strike-rate is ranked 5th in the world using the same baseline. Allen is the only kiwi in the top-20 for T20I batting strike-rates and this stretches out to top-30 for T20 batting strike-rates. Allen could also play as a wicket-keeper if Devon Conway doesn't.

Devon Conway

  • T20I: 39.35avg/129sr

  • T20: 41.96avg/128.69sr

Deep In The Mangroves

Conway's T20I batting average is ranked 15th highest in the world (20+ innings) and his T20 batting average is ranked 14th in the world. Both have been higher but Conway has suffered a dip in form in recent years. Conway averaged 40+ in T20I batting for each of his first three years then he dipped down to 13avg and 22.5avg in the last two years. Conway is also battling injury niggle and he last played in February when he suffered an injury in the T20Is vs Australia.

Rachin Ravindra

  • T20I: 16.46avg/133/75sr | 22.45avg/6.67rpo

  • T20: 16.68avg/131.54sr | 27.19avg/7.38rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Big stage Rachin hasn't stamped his mark on the Blackcaps T20 team but that could change in the coming weeks. Despite his blatant talent, Ravindra didn't shine for Blackcaps until the ODI World Cup last year where he rolled out 64.22avg/106.44sr in 10 innings. Ravindra has an ODI strike-rate of 108 and List-A strike-rate of 100.8 which highlight his effortless scoring. Add in how his T20I career has progressed leading into this T20 World Cup...

  • 2021: 9avg/98.1sr

  • 2023: 18.2avg/133.8sr

  • 2024: 34.5avg/186.48sr

Kane Williamson

  • T20I: 33.96avg/123.64sr

  • T20: 31.75avg/122.8sr

Deep In The Mangroves

The leading glue-guy. Williamson has the third highest T20I batting average and is second in T20I runs for Aotearoa, plus he has a slightly higher strike-rate than Ross Taylor. There is intrigue around who the opening batters will be for New Zealand and Williamson's best mahi is in the first two batting slots just to add to that, however he has played most of his T20I innings batting third. Worry less about Williamson's stats and more about how he controls an innings, especially salvaging innings to build a competitive total.

Daryl Mitchell

  • T20I: 26.25avg/138.61sr

  • T20: 31.48avg/135.9sr

Deep In The Mangroves

The second glue-guy. Mitchell has batted in every spot from two down to seven for Blackcaps and has already been effective in T20 World Cups with 39.62avg/136sr across 11 innings. Mitchell can be hyper-aggressive, especially when hitting straight and the Williamson/Mitchell combo can adapt to any game situation.

Glenn Phillips

  • T20I: 33.03avg/143.29sr | 52avg/7.17rpo

  • T20: 32.41avg/141.18sr | 30.94avg/7.99rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Already fifth in T20I runs for New Zealand, Phillips has a higher strike-rate than the four lads ahead of him. Phillips rolled out 34avg/138sr in 10 T20 World Cup innings and also loves the Caribbean where he averaged 30+ in four consecutive Caribbean Premier League campaigns. There is a chance Phillips bowls a few overs as well and while he's not a leading Blackcaps bowler, Phillips operates below 8rpo in both T20 formats.

Mark Chapman

  • T20I: 29.13avg/133.1sr

  • T20: 26.34avg/133.46sr

Deep In The Mangroves

Chapman's T20I stats improve slightly when zoning in on his mahi for Aotearoa, with the above stats including his performances for Hong Kong. Chapman has a T20I record of 32avg/141.69sr for New Zealand and this adds Chapman to the group of Blackcaps middle-order batters who operate over 140sr. There is also Chapman's love for batting 'away' from home (NZ and Hong Kong) as his home stats of 17.7avg/128sr improve to 46.38avg/146sr for away games.

Michael Bracewell

  • T20I: 18.55avg/125.56sr | 14.04avg/6.26rpo

  • T20: 29.31avg/133.7sr | 19.22avg/7.55rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

There isn't much to suggest that Bracewell will be a key player for Blackcaps at this tournament, but his maturity and skill makes him a wildcard to keep close tabs on. Bracewell hasn't flexed his slugging ability for New Zealand in T20Is yet but he has an ODI strike-rate of 118 and he's got healthy T20 performances over 140 games. His best T20 pocket is bowling where he averages below 20 in both formats, conceding less than 7.6rpo in both formats. Bracewell is also pretty good bowling overseas as his home mahi of 10.5avg/4.9rpo slides up to 15.8avg/6.8rpo away which is still solid.

Jimmy Neesham

  • T20I: 22.78avg/155.66sr | 27.65avg/9.17rpo

  • T20: 24.06avg/142.33sr | 25.63avg/9.05rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Neesham's T20I batting strike-rate is ranked 25th in the world, third highest for kiwi batters and he joins the 140+ strike-rate crew. This is more impressive considering that Neesham has a higher batting strike-rate for New Zealand than he does in the tier below and his powerful hitting makes him a sneaky 1st 11 contender. Neesham also has bowling strike-rates below 20 in T20Is and T20s, with a better T20I bowling stirke-rate (18sr) than Mitchell Santner (18.6sr) while not far off the rest of New Zealand's best bowlers in this squad.

Mitchell Santner

  • T20I: 16.25avg/122.18sr | 22.13avg/7.11rpo

  • T20: 23.49avg/132.58sr | 24.01avg/7.04rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Santner is the most economical bowler in the Blackcaps T20 World Cup squad and he has a fantastic record in these tournaments with 18.6avg/6.5rpo over 17 games. Santner averaged below 20 while conceding less than 6.7rpo in 2022 and 2023 before blowing out to 36.5avg/8.4rpo in seven T20Is this year.

Ish Sodhi

  • T20I: 7.37avg/104.11sr | 23.1avg/7.99rpo

  • T20: 8.2avg/104.68sr | 24.45avg/7.85rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Second in T20I wickets for New Zealand, Sodhi joins Tim Southee as the only kiwis to take 130+ T20I wickets. Sodhi has a strong record in T20 World Cups as well with 17.7avg/7rpo and like Santner, this year hasn't been his best as it's his first year averaging over 28 and conceding over 8rpo since 2019.

Tim Southee

  • T20I: 11.65avg/139.63sr | 23.15avg/8.13rpo

  • T20: 11.22avg/140.34sr | 24.77avg/8.2rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Southee, Sodhi and Santner all have 100+ T20I wickets, averages below 24 and concede less than 8.2rpo. Southee is the only lad over 150+ T20I wickets and he is slightly better as captain (19.5avg/7.9rpo) than when Williamson is skipper (24avg/8rpo). After averaging below 20 in just one of 11 years, Southee has dipped below 20avg in three of the last four years and averaged 20.3 in the other year. This is the first phase of Southee's T20I career since debuting in 2008 where he has consecutive years averaging below 21 ... make that 24avg.

Trent Boult

  • T20I: 8avg/90.56sr | 23.24avg/7.98rpo

  • T20: 10.84avg/106.18sr | 26.17avg/8.12rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Boult has only played 10+ T20Is in a year twice, both were World Cup years for 2021 and 2022. This can be tweaked as they are the only years of Boult's T20I career in which he played more than eight T20Is. Tweak if further and Boult played 26 T20Is in 2021 and 2022 , which is more than his first five years of T20Is combined. Boult is far better overseas than in Aotearoa and is a demon at T20 World Cups...

  • Home: 31.48avg/8.7rpo

  • Away: 18.83avg/7.5rpo

  • Neutral: 14.86avg/6.6rpo

  • T20 World Cups: 14.64avg/6.5rpo

Lockie Ferguson

  • T20I: 3.85avg/87.09sr | 18.83avg/7.52rpo

  • T20: 10.7avg/116.81sr | 23.58avg/7.85rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Aside from Bracewell's small sample size mahi, Ferguson is Aotearoa's best T20I bowler. Ferguson has the lowest T20I bowling average and strike-rate for kiwis who have bowled 500+ deliveries. Ferguson has also responded to a blip last year where he offered 57avg/10.6rpo, settling back into his groove this year for 11.4avg/5.7rpo. Add in his 2022 mahi of 21.6avg/7.6rpo and this is the first phase of his career in which Ferguson has played five or more T20Is in three consecutive years.

Matt Henry

  • T20I: 4avg/120sr | 24.8avg/8.13rpo

  • T20: 13.2avg/156.47sr | 25.1avg/8.39rpo

Deep In The Mangroves

Unlikely to feature in many games at this T20 World Cup, Henry is deserving of his selection thanks to his growth in T20 bowling. Henry has solid T20 stats at both levels and he has flipped his T20I mahi from 30+ averages in three of his first four years, to averaging below 27 in the last two years. This has come with more game time as 2023 and 2024 are the only years of Henry's T20I career where he has played more than two games.

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Written by Scott Miller On Tagged