ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Five New Zealand players to watch out for

Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 we look at five New Zealand players to watch out for - Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, Mitchell Santner, Neil Broom, Kane Williamson
Trent Boult

Trent Boult was the joint leading wicket-taker at the 2015 World Cup, and in conditions expected to favour his style of left-arm swing he could be a handful. There are fewer greater exponents of the craft in today’s game and if the white Kookaburra ball moves about during the Champions Trophy, then Boult could be a huge asset to New Zealand.The 27-year-old has played only two ODIs in England, but took six wickets to underline his skill. After playing just six of Kolkata Knight Riders’ 15 matches in the recent IPL, expect a hungry Boult to want to run out and make an immediate impact in the format in which he’s proven very dangerous.
Martin Guptill

Martin Guptill remains New Zealand’s biggest batsman when it comes to ODI cricket, on the basis of what he has pulled off in 143 prior matches. That he is the only batsman in the game’s history to have three scores of 180 or more underlines his threat. In his first ODI of 2017, he hit 61 off 73 balls, followed by 180 in a must-win match with South Africa, featuring 15 fours and 11 sixes, that drew comparisons to his double-century during the 2015 World Cup. Guptill has an excellent ODI record in England: 566 runs in 11 innings at 62.68, with scores of 189* and 103* to go with a couple of fifties.
Mitchell Santner

New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner warmed up for the Champions Trophy with a career-best 5/50 against Ireland recently, and will hope to add to his impressive ODI numbers in England. He made his ODI and T20I debuts in the country two years ago, and since then has become a fixture in the Black Caps’ squads. His nagging left-arm spin has proven effective at both stemming the flow of runs and breaking partnerships – even at the back end of ODIs – and Santner has also proven a big-hitter down the order.
Kane Williamson

New Zealand have not been able to achieve the level of consistency they achieved under Brendon McCullum, and Kane Williamson will hope to turn that around at the Champions Trophy. The versatile batsman, on the road to breaking all New Zealand batting records, has an average of 57.10 in ODIs in England. During the 2015 series in England, he reeled off scores of 45, 93, 118, 90 and 50 as the Black Caps were beaten 3-2 by Eoin Morgan’s home team. How he fares at No 3 during the competition could well dictate New Zealand’s fortunes.
Neil Broom

Recalled to New Zealand’s ODI squad in December after nearly seven years, Neil Broom has done enough to remain in the setup and is shaping up as a decisive middle-order player for them in England. His recent scores in Ireland have been 45, 79, 48 and 38 and in these he displayed the twin assets needed to succeed in the middle order: a steely resolve in milking singles and the ability to use the long handle.