ODI World Cup 2023: New Zealand performance review

2007 semifinals, 2011 semifinals, 2011 semifinals, 2015 finals, 2019 finals and 2023 semifinals - that’s how New Zealand have faired in the last six editions of the ODI World Cup. In each of these editions, the experts have not given New Zealand a chance ahead of the tournament but the Black Caps have always found a way to make it to the final four. The year 2023 was no different. With Kane Williamson and Tim Southee not being there in the initial phase of the tournament, the Kiwis were not given a chance.

However, in the very first match of the tournament, New Zealand defeated the 2019 champions Englandby nine wickets. A new star in Rachin Ravindra was born, who eventually went on to set the tournament on fire. Devon Conway showed a lot of promise and New Zealand started the tournament with a bang.

They kept the momentum alive by winning four matches on the trot but eventually suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of India in Dharamshala. That probably disturbed the morale of the team as the team went on to lose to Australia, South Africa and Pakistan in their next three matches of the ODI World Cup 2023. However, the Kane Williamson-led side managed to defeat Sri Lanka in their final league game of the tournament to qualify for the all-important semifinals.

There they faced the mighty Indians yet again. However, the track record in the past hugely favoured New Zealand and there was tension in the air among the home supporters. However, India picked up a comfortable victory at the Wakhede Stadium while New Zealand once again suffered agony. However, the players showed a lot of character and that’s one of the biggest reasons to be proud of their effort. This also marks the era of an era in the team as Kane Williamson, Trent Bult and Tim Southee will not be around for too long, especially in ODI cricket.

The good, bad and not so pretty

Rachin’s emergence was one of the biggest positives for New Zealand in the tournament. With Kane Williamson not getting any younger, the Black Caps needed a reliable player in the middle-order and Ravindra definitely made a case. Along with him, Daryl Mitchell and Conway once again proved their worth at the grandest stage of them all. They could not get the job done in the end but their brand of cricket entertained the masses.

On the other hand, Williamson once again won the hearts of billions of cricket lovers. The Kiwi captain was on the verge of missing out on the ODI World Cup due to an injury he suffered while playing in the IPL but he worked hard to recover and make it into the tournament. However, he could not start the right away as he was not fit enough to feature from the very first game. He made his return in New Zealand’s third game, against Bangladesh, and scored 78 runs before fracturing his finger.

The cricketer once again got ruled out and then took his team to the semi-finals of the tournament. He scored 256 runs in four matches at a phenomenal average of 85.33. He walked off with a smile yet again as New Zealand once again failed to get the job done.

One thing that the team will aim to improve is their bowling. Mitchel Santner was terrific throughout but Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson could have had a better season. The trio have enough experience of playing in Indian conditions but could not perform at their best when it mattered the most. On top of that, players like Tom Latham and Will Young barely contributed in the tournament while James Neesham did not get enough game time.

The moments that mattered

Youngster Rachin scoring a century in his very first World Cup game has to be one of New Zealand’s biggest highlights of the campaign. He delivered time and again and in pressure situations to help his team be a step ahead of the oppositions. The 24-year-old hit three centuries in the tournament and finished as the fourth-leading run-scorer, which speaks volumes,

The other big moment for them came in the semi-finals. Against India, the task was never going to be easy and especially when you are chasing 398 runs. However, the Kiwis once again showed never-die attitude and batted brilliantly to stay in the hunt for quite some time. Daryl Mitchell hit 134 runs while Williamson managed to score 69 runs. Their partnership was bothering and at some point, it felt that the Kiwis could get over the line. However, Mohammed Shami pulled it back for India as they managed to win by 70 runs. Nevertheless, New Zealand batted brilliantly and that deserves special recognition. 

Remember the names

Rachin, Santner, Mitchell and Williamson were the heroes for New Zealand in the ODI World Cup 2023. Ravindra had a breakthrough year and if he manages to keep up with the momentum, the Kiwi international can bring multiple laurels to his nation. When it comes to Santner and Mitchell, they tried everything to finally get their hands on the trophy. However, they failed to cross the line yet again. Nevertheless, the cricketers should be extremely proud of the effort.

Future fermentations

The future looks more or less sorted for New Zealand. Rachin is arguably going to be their poster boy and with players like Glenn Phillips, Kyle Jamieson and Finn Allen in the mix. However, these three cricketers will have to be consistent to rebuild New Zealand for the next ODI World Cup in 2027.

Coming of age

The name may sound repetitive now but Rachin is the future of New Zealand cricket. He hit 578 runs in 10 matches, the highest for any player of his age in World Cup history. New Zealand have found their next Williamson and now, it needs to be seen how well he fare once he gets the responsibilities and feature in all three formats.