5 IPL regulars from New Zealand who can trouble India

One of the most disciplined units in the fraternity, New Zealand cricketers ensure their performances do the talking, not their words. Henceforth, it comes in as no surprises that most of these cricketers are respected globally and receive invitations to participate in T20 tournaments in every country.

Kiwi cricketers are quite an integral part of the IPL. Who can forget Brendon McCullum’s blazing knock of 158 in IPL’s inaugural match in 2008? If it had not been for this Kiwi maestro, IPL would’ve been a lot different. Not just him, but various others like Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Daniel Vettori etc have made their mark in the greatest T20 league in the world.

Playing in IPL has helped them improve their game in various facets, most important of them being to adapt to subcontinental conditions and pitches. Since the emergence of IPL, we’ve seen a lot of cricketers come to India and perform well against spin, especially with the white ball. David Warner registered his first hundred in Asian conditions recently and he owes a debt of gratitude to IPL.

Similarly, a lot of New Zealand cricketers will be having an edge when they’ll battle against the high-flying Indians from Monday. They will be playing 3 ODIs and as many T20s. As a part of the build-up for this amazing clash, let’s take a look at five cricketers from New Zealand, who will make the most out of their IPL experience when the series begins.

1. Ross Taylor (Royal Challengers Bangalore, Pune Warriors India, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils)

The most experienced IPL player in the current side, Ross Taylor is a match-winner in his own rights. The 33-year-old is one of the finest batsmen their land has ever produced and he is also their third highest run scorer in ODIs. He played for four different franchises and has played with all the big players in the side like Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami etc. The veteran will not have an easy time in India, but his experience can come into play through various forms.

2. Kane Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Skipper Williamson didn’t get to play many games this season as David Warner had quite a headache in opting the 4 foreign players. Nevertheless, in the few chances he got, Williamson showed his class and his 89-run knock against Delhi Daredevils at Hyderabad speaks volumes of his caliber in the shortest format. He played a lot against India’s spearhead Bhuvneshwar and Dhawan in the training sessions and this will be a huge plus point for him. A game changer like him will only get more lethal with such add-ons.

3. Trent Boult (Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders)

Arguably their best bowler in the present team, Trent Boult poses quite a threat with the new ball. To add to it, he played with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan at the Sunrisers and with Manish Pandey and Kuldeep Yadav at the Kolkata Knight Riders. He was an integral part of the IPL winning SRH side in 2016 and though he played just one game, he too has a lot of experience. Taking all this into consideration, the left-arm pacer will come in handy for the Blackcaps, more than what people are assuming.

4. Adam Milne (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Virat Kohli once said during the IPL that Milne is doing a fantastic job in the nets. That buys him an entry into this list and anyone who spent quality time Kohli will get all the attention in such things. Milne must’ve bowled a lot to the Indian skipper and it will come as no surprise if he manages to trouble him in the upcoming series. Just like his senior pro Boult, he didn’t get many opportunities to make an impact, but he did spend an awful lot of time in India.

5. Tim Southee (Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Rajasthan Royals)

Just like Ross Taylor, Southee too has been a part of the IPL for a long time now. Tim Southee has played with various current starts like MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, and Ajinkya Rahane during his stints with three of the best sides in IPL history. He won the title winning medal twice, once with CSK (2011) and once with Mumbai (2017). One of the best bowlers in their side, Southee can mentor some other youngsters in the side to enhance their performance.