With just a week to go until the start of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE, it sets up a tight race for the premier position for batters in 50-over cricket during the eight-team tournament.
England took charge of the first Test against New Zealand on Saturday, riding Harry Brook's 171 to a first-innings lead of 151 before reducing the Black Caps to 155/6 on Day 3.
India's group match against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday will be the first ICC Champions Trophy between the two teams in 25 years.
The play stopped for a brief moment at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, when a streaker came running to the pitch.
New Zealand's shock abandonment of their Pakistan tour last month created bad blood between the sides but captain Kane Williamson expects "right spirit" to prevail when the teams clash in Tuesday's Twenty20 World Cup contest in Sharjah.
Lauding his country's doctors and healthcare workers battling the coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Thursday said these are the people who truly understand what it means to be under pressure -- a word so often thrown around in sports. Writing in New Zealand Herald, Williamson addressed the doctors, nurses and caregivers who are on the front-line to battle the deadly outbreak, which has claimed more than 21,000 lives globally.
During the interaction with Ashwin, Kane Williamson also explained the difference between leading New Zealand and an IPL franchise.
Kane Williamson's sentiment was also echoed by one of his senior teammates Ross Taylor, who was also critical of the points system.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson will be rested for the second Test against England due to a left elbow injury, with Tom Latham to lead the side in his absence.
Kane Williamson is due to leave, on Thursday, to link up with the Hyderabad Sunrisers in the United Arab Emirates, which is hosting the tournament this year due to the growing number of infections in India.
Stead also revealed that former paceman Bond has been hired by his country's cricket board to "work specifically" with the national team's spinners ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Axar also patted fellow spinner Varun Chakravarthy (5/42) for coming up with a match-winning spell.
Kane Williamson's elbow niggle 'flared up a little bit' earlier this week and the New Zealand skipper could miss a few matches during the T20 World Cup, Kiwi head coach Gary Stead revealed.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson admitted that playing the second leg of Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates helped in understanding the conditions better in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson extolled Pakistan bowlers' "outstanding" performance against them, saying their clinical show at the death was of the "highest class".
Virat Kohli continues to prove why he is one of the greatest ODI batters of all time, moving up to the fourth spot with 747 rating points in the latest ICC ODI rankings.
New Zealand took charge on the second day of the third Test by dismissing England for 143 and making 136/3 at close of play for an overall lead of 340.
The Indian men's hockey team ended the Bhubaneswar leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League on a high, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over England.
Williamson dethroned Smith, who slipped to the third spot after managing scores of 0 and 8 in the two innings against India at the MCG.
New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra believes adapting to the conditions will be key to success in the Champions Trophy final against India in Dubai.
Young blocked the first ball of the Abrar Ahmed over for a dot before sweeping the ball to square leg to bring up his century.
India's pace talisman Jasprit Bumrah's absence will certainly hurt India, but the team's quality batting and spin bowling make them title contenders alongside South Africa and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.
Tamilians and Keralites believe he is one of them, and people from Karnataka also consider him their hero.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has withdrawn from the second Test against West Indies and returned home to be with his pregnant wife, coach Gary Stead said on Thursday.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson led from the front with a double century to guide the hosts to a huge total in their first innings on Day 2 of the first Test against West Indies, at Seddon Park, in Hamilton, on Friday.
Newly-appointed SunRisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson said the team needs to be clear about strategies and execution after losing to Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.
Pakistan were 30-1 at stumps on Day 2, still 401 runs behind New Zealand's 431 in the first innings.
Former Australian pacer Brett Lee has highlighted the different styles of the captaincy of Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final later this month.
The 30-year-old Williamson, a vital cog in SRH's middle order, suffered a small tear in his left elbow tendon and was ruled out of the home ODI series against Bangladesh in March ahead of the IPL.
'His elbow is still niggling him a wee bit'
If CSK fails to win Friday's match against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai, it could turn to be a historic new low for them. It could be the first time that CSK have lost three matches in a row at home.
"Everybody has different tags and rankings that go up and down throughout the year, and I suppose they end up with different names. But you come into a tournament on any day, anything can happen, especially looking across all these teams with match winners throughout."
Warner, Haddin, and Williamson will now be quarantined according to the protocols for seven days before they join the squad for the IPL.
Williamson said it would be "some achievement" for his team to be world champions in another format but would not like the prospect to be a distraction.
The fierce Kohli and the mostly calm Williamson admire and respect each other as cricketers and more importantly as human beings.
India head coach Ravi Shastri saluted New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson for showing remarkable composure during his team's heart-breaking loss to England in Sunday's World Cup final at Lord's.
A confident New Zealand side will be eager to seal a semi-final spot when they take on Bangladesh, who will be fighting for survival, in their Champions Trophy Group A match in Rawalpindi on Monday.
'It's a very special feeling, the first time in our history we've come away with a World title,' said New Zealand skipper Kane Wiilliamson after victory over India in the WTC final on Wednesday.
'Batting? Captaincy? Playing the guitar? No problem, just call Kane Mama', Sunrisers Hyderabad captioned the video.
New Zealand registered a 13-run win over the West Indies in the first T20I to take 1-0 lead.
