The Best of 2017: New Zealand T20I XI

Over the last few years, the team New Zealand has been one of the most improved sides in the shortest format of the game. The year of 2017 proved to be a very lucky year for the black caps. During the year, they managed to escalate to the top of the ICC T20I Team rankings for quite a significant time period. Albeit they lost their top spot to Pakistan towards the fag end of the year, their domination in the shortest format reaped rewards in the calendar year of 2017. They did not have a plethora of T20 action in the year, yet had some memorable moments in 2017. They started off the year by whitewashing Bangladesh 3-0 at home. Next, they hosted South Africa in a one off T20I at Auckland. Unfortunately, they lost the game by a big margin. New Zealand then toured India for a 3-match T20I series. Much against all expectations, they ended up stunning the hosts in one of the matches to have the eventual scoreline of 2-1. Overall, they played 7 T20Is this year and registered wins in 4 of them. Also, they managed to unearth some big talents in the shortest format. As the year of 2017 comes to an end, we look at the star performers for them in T20Is this year. Here is the Best New Zealand T20I XI of the year 2017: 1. Colin Munro Colin Munro celebrates his hundred. (Photo Source: Twitter) Hard hitting left handed opening batsman, Colin Munro, finished the year of 2017 as the leading run getter for New Zealand in this particular calendar year in the shortest format of the game. Munro featured in all the 7 T20Is that the Kiwis played this year. He scored 224 runs at an average over 37 with the bat. He had a herculean run with the bat as he slammed two T20I tons this year. His best effort with the bat came in the Rajkot T20I against India where he slammed an unbeaten 109. His effort helped the Kiwis secure a clinical win in the game and stay alive in the series at that point of time. 2. Tom Bruce Tom Bruce of New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) Tom Bruce became a regular face in the Kiwis lineup this year. He managed to secure a place in the side owing to his consistent run in the domestic circuit. He did not disappoint with the bat at the highest level too. Like Munro, even Bruce featured in all the 7 matches that New Zealand played this year. He aggregated 136 runs with the bat at an average of over 27 and a top score of unbeaten 59. However, the innings that stands out among the rest was his fighting knock of 38 against South Africa. He fought a lone battle in the match that the black caps eventually lost by 78 runs. 3. Kane Williamson (C) Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: Twitter) New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson had a decent run with the bat as well this year. Williamson amassed 206 runs in the year of 2017, as on December 18, 2017. He averaged close to 35 with the bat this year and also slammed two fifties whilst leading the side. More than anything else, it was his leadership skill that was on display all the year around. He managed to keep his cool and led the Kiwi team with utmost composure. He led the Kiwi team to a whitewash home win against Bangladesh. 4. Corey Anderson Corey Anderson of New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) Veteran all-rounder Corey Anderson has been in and out of the team in the recent times. However, during this year, Anderson managed to leave an imprint on the selectors big time. During the third T20I against Bangladesh at Mount Manganui, Anderson threatened to break many T20I records. In the match, he singlehandedly brushed aside the Bangladeshi team. He smashed a match-winning unbeaten 94 off just 41 deliveries with a record 10 sixes. Anderson played only 4 matches this year. But that knock against Bangladesh manages to fetch him a place in this list of the Kiwi team. 5. Glenn Phillips (WK) Glenn Phillips of New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) Young New Zealand wicket-keeper Glenn Phillips earned a national side call this year. He managed to fetch a place in the national side for the tour of India. He played 3 T20Is and looked good behind the stumps. With the bat, he did not have much to do and his services were largely not needed in the fixtures that he featured in. The South Africa-born cricketer earned a spot in the national side after veteran wicket keeper-batsman Luke Ronchi called it a day from all forms of the game. 6. Colin de Grandhomme Colin de Grandhomme of New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) Colin de Grandhomme has emerged as the first choice all-rounder in the Kiwi lineup in the recent times. Ever since his dream debut for the blackcaps in the longest format of the game last season, Grandhomme has only escalated his game a level up. He played 7 T20Is this year and ended up scoring 79 runs in the limited opportunities he got with the bat. Much in his defense, he often came in to bat with a handful of deliveries left in the innings. With the bat, he scored a quick unbeaten 41 against Bangladesh that stands out. With the ball, he scalped 3 wickets this year. 7. Mitchell Santner Mitchell Santner of New Zealand looks on during the first International Twenty20 match between New Zealand and South Africa. (Photo Source: Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) Young left arm spinner Mitchell Santner has cemented his place in the New Zealand side as the frontline spinner. Santner has been exceling in all forms of the game for the national side. Albeit he does not have a lot of wickets to boast about this year, his contribution to the team remains unmatched. Santner bowled a cumulative of 25 overs in the 7 T20Is that he played this year. He bagged 4 wickets – all of them coming in four different games. He bowled with an economy of 7.52 – the third best after Ish Sodhi and Kane Williamson this year from the Kiwi camp. 8. Ish Sodhi Ish Sodhi (Photo by Matthew Lewis-IDI/IDI via Getty Images) While Mitchell Santner has been the first choice spinner in the Kiwi team, Ish Sodhi has only managed to get a handful of chances. The team has always stressed on their horses for courses policy. Perhaps it is because of this that Sodhi got his chances only when the team thought that the tracks would assist the spinners more. Sodhi, in his limited opportunities, has managed to scalp 10 wickets in the 5 matches that he played. His best figures were of 3/36. He was the most econimical front line bowler for New Zealand this year with an economy of 7.27. 9. Ben Wheeler CHESTER-LE-STREET, ENGLAND – JUNE 20: Ben Wheeler of New Zealand. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Young bowler Ben Wheeler got his opportunity to play for the national side on 4 occasions in the shortest format of the game. Wheeler proved to be a handy bowling option for his captain. He proved that he can be a wicket taking option whenever the team would need one. Wheeler scalped 5 wickets in the 4 matches that he played in 2017 in T20Is. His best numbers were 2/16 and he averaged just over 23 with the ball – next to only Trent Boult in the list of frontline pacers. He bowled with a strike rate of 17 – which is very impressive. 10. Trent Boult Trent Boult of New Zealand appeals. (Photo Source: Twitter) Trent Boult has been the spearhead of the New Zealand bowling attack for quite some time now. He prove his mettle yet again and justified the tag of being the best bowler of his side. As on December 18, 2017, Boult is the only Kiwi cricketer to have scalped a four wicket haul in the calendar year of 2017. Boult returned with figures of 4/34 in the Rajkot T20I against India. He had ran through the Indian top order in the match. Boult scalped 11 wickets in the 6 matches that he played this year. He averaged 16.36 with the ball – the second best among the Kiwis frontline bowlers after Ish Sodhi. 11. Tim Southee Tim Southee. (Photo Source: Twitter) Tim Southee did not have the best of times with the ball this year. But the blackcaps had very little options to pick from when it came to the fast bowling departments. Their experiments in this department largely failed. Hence, Southee, despite a relatively poor run in 2017, still makes it to this list. He featured in 3 matches for the national setup in the shortest format of the game. He picked up two wickets in those games. Both his wickets came in the same match where he bowled a brilliant spell of 2/13. Lockie Ferguson could have made it to the list too, but he only played one T20I this year.

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The Best of 2017: New Zealand T20I XI

New Zealand started off the year by whitewashing Bangladesh 3-0 at home.

6. Colin de Grandhomme

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