Former New Zealand fast-bowling great Tim Southee is confident that the Black Caps' inexperienced bowling attack will do a wonderful job at the upcoming Champions Trophy after watching them perform impressively in the recently-concluded tri-series in Pakistan.
With his century in Rawalpindi on Monday, Rachin Ravindra became the first player to score a century on debut in both the ICC World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy justified his selection with a five-wicket haul and bowled India to a 44-run victory against New Zealand.
Rachin Ravindra's blistering century against South Africa in the Champions Trophy semi-final, his fifth in just 13 ICC ODI innings, places him among cricket's elite.
Head coach Gary Stead and the team management are optimistic about Williamson's recovery.
India's middle-order mainstay Shreyas Iyer was on Tuesday nominated alongside New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra and Jacob Duffy for the ICC Player of the Month award for March following his remarkable performance in last month's Champions Trophy.
Unaware that the area was filled with cricket fans, he had a tough time managing the crowd.
New Zealand clinched the tri-nation title by beating hosts Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Karachi on Friday to give them a major boost ahead of next week's Champions Trophy.
Kane Williamson will play both of New Zealand's warm-up matches but will skip the tournament opener against England.
New Zealand will firmly bank on their potent batting line-up to ward off Bangladesh's capable spin attack on a slow Chepauk pitch on Friday.
India's spinners were the key architects of the bowling performance. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) were the standout performers, while Jadeja (1/30) and Axar Patel (0/29 in 8 overs) kept the pressure on with their economical spells.
As the English side is all set to take on New Zealand at the opening encounter of the ODI World Cup, Kiwi captain Kane Williamson retrospects the previous clash between the two sides.
SRH rode on Kane Williamson's sublime 57 which included 4 sixes and 2 fours.
Williamson said that it feels great to be in India and the squad is excited about the season.
Durban's Super Giants ended their SA20 campaign on a positive note, scoring a thrilling 11-run DLS victory over Joburg Super Kings at the Wanderers on Saturday.
Gujarat Titans batter Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League following the knee injury he sustained in the 2023 tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings on Friday.
Group A winners India will take on World champions Australia in the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
Former New Zealand spinner John Bracewell believes charismatic batter Devon Conway has caught the 'Kane Williamson bug' to keep learning from past mistakes and making rapid improvements.
Kane Williamson showed his class in his first competitive outing in six months while Rachin Ravindra sizzled at the top of the order as New Zealand gunned down a 346-run target in their opening World Cup warm-up game against Pakistan
New Zealand pace duo of Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson are set to return for Monday's World Cup match against the Netherlands but regular skipper Kane Williamson will continue to sit out, head coach Gary Stead said on Sunday.
David Miller's 100 came off 67 balls. Virender Sehwag took 77 balls for his century.
In the IPL opener, Gujarat Giants were dealt a big blow as Kane Williamson walked off the field following a nasty knee injury.
Skipper Kane Williamson was on Saturday ruled out of New Zealand's next three World Cup matches, including the India game.
Kane Williamson suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) while fielding for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 and underwent surgery in early April.
New Zealand called up two local left-arm wrist spinners to bowl to left-handers Tom Latham and Michael Bracewell at their nets in Dubai on Saturday.
Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been recognised for their exceptional performances in 2024 by being named in the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year.
Stead said paceman Tim Southee was also in contention after recovering from a fractured thumb.
The result meant that defending champions Pakistan joined Bangladesh in being knocked out of the tournament after losing their opening two matches against New Zealand and India.
Seamers Ben Sears, Nathan Smith and Will O'Rourke will play their first global tournament at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates next month after being named in the New Zealand squad on Sunday.
New Zealand and South Africa, both laden with world-class talent but often falling short in ICC tournaments, will face off in a tightly contested Champions Trophy semifinal.
Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Santner acknowledged India's superior game plan and their ability to dictate terms in the middle phase.
Michael Bracewell, who was one of the main performers for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, will lead the side in the absence of Mitchell Santner.
'I have seen the talent these players have and there are plenty of superstars in that team'
Axar Patel, once known as the 'poor man's Jadeja', has transformed into a crucial batting asset for India.
South Africa opening batter Matthew Breetzke broke a 47-year-old record when he made the highest score on ODI debut with 150 in a losing effort against New Zealand in a Tri-Nations match.
Stead said about Kane that he is a batter who rises for big occasions, calling him a "special player".
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
Recovering New Zealand captain Kane Williamson returned to the net on Tuesday to face throwdowns keeping alive his faint hopes of playing the 50-overs World Cup in India later this year.
New Zealand made a strong start to their bid for a consolation victory in the third and final Test against England at Hamilton's Seddon Park on Saturday, reaching lunch on the opening day on 93 without loss.
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