T20 World Cup: 5 reasons why New Zealand is the strongest all-format team in the world

Kane Williamson-led New Zealand became the first team to reach the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 final on Wednesday by defeating ICC ODI World Cup 2019 final rivals England by five wickets in an exciting clash. Earlier the Kiwis restricted England for 166/4 in the first innings and later chased down the target with one over to go with five wickets in their side. The New Zealand T20 World Cup squad has got quite a match-winners like Kane Williamson, Jimmy Neesham, Trent Boult, Tim Southee who represent the side in all three formats of the game. Courtesy of their performances, the Kiwis now stand one step away from picking their maid T20 World Cup title.

What makes New Zealand the strongest team in all formats?

New Zealand put forward its challenge as the strongest all-format team in the world by reaching the finals ahead of other giants like India and England. Before coming to the T20 World Cup, the Kiwis already picked their maiden ICC title by winning the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championships in the finals against India which was held in England. The Kiwis came out on top of all the other Test-playing nations and stamped their authority as the Test giants in global cricket.

The Kane Williamson-led team also reached the ICC ODI World Cup 2019 final, by defeating India in the semifinals. They performed brilliantly throughout the tournament, however, missed the chance to earn the World Cup title in a dramatic match. England went on to win the match and pick their maiden title following New Zealand’s loss in the thrilling super-over.

The skipper of New Zealand, Kane Williamson is considered one of the sharpest minds in crickets and has brought his team at par with all teams, since he took charge. Williamson plays league cricket all around the globe and also leads Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. He has scored a total of 131 runs in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup so far.

New Zealand has got players like Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Jimmy Neesham, Martin Guptill, Devon Conway, Ish Sodhi Mitchell Santner, and many more in their side, who represent the team in all three formats. Guptill is the top-run scorer for the team with 180 runs scored so far, whereas Neesham starred in the T20 World Cup semi-final with his quickfire 27 runs off 11 balls. Meanwhile, Sodhi and Boult have contributed to the team with nine and 11 wickets respectively. Boult is currently is the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament. 

Having reached the T20 World Cup final, New Zealand also sits at the top of the ICC Men’s Team rankings in the Test and ODI format. In the ODI rankings, the Kiwis lead the rankings from England and Australia. Meanwhile, in the Test Rankings, New Zealand sits at the top ahead of India and Australia after winning the ICC World Test Championship.

(Image: AP)