New Zealand T20 World Cup 2016 profile: The Kiwis will find the Indian conditions too tough to beat

Coach: Mike Hesson

ICC World Ranking: 4

Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliot, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

Fixtures

Match 1: India vs New Zealand, Group 2

Date and Time: 15 March, Tuesday – 2pm GMT/7.30pm IST

Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur

Match 2: Australia vs New Zealand, Group 2

Date and Time: 18 March, Friday – 9.30am GMT/3pm IST

Venue: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala

Match 3: New Zealand vs Pakistan, Group 2

Date and Time: 22 March, Tuesday – 2pm GMT/7.30pm IST

Venue: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

Match 4: New Zealand vs TBC(Qualifier 1A), Group 2

Date and Time: 26 March, Saturday – 9.30am GMT/7.30pm IST

Venue: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh

Overview: The Black Caps come into the T20 World Cup on the back of impressive performances against Pakistan at home, where they won the T20 and One-Day International (ODI) series comfortably. They are currently placed fourth in T20 rankings and are capable of beating any side on their day.

A look at the statistics from the past five editions show that the Kiwis have not performed to the best of their abilities, winning just 11 out of the 25 games played, while losing 12 and tying two.

In Martin Guptill, Corey Anderson, Ross Taylor and Colin Munro they have big hitters who are capable of winning games on their own, while their bowling led by Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenagen showed just how dangerous they are during the ICC 2015 World Cup in Australia.

Brendon McCullum's retirement will be a big blow for their title hopes. However, new skipper Kane Williamson has got the backing of the team management and will want to impress in his first major test as leader in the international arena.

Key player

Corey Anderson: Holder of the New Zealand record for the quickest 100 in ODIs, Corey Anderson is a bonafide superstar in the T20 format and one of their most dangerous players with both the bat and the ball.

The all-rounder, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is a valuable addition to any team and with a career strike rate of 144, he is an imposing figure. The 25-year-old, who is just returning from an injury, will need to fire if the Kiwis are to mount a serious challenge for the T20 title.

World Cup history: New Zealand are yet to win a World T20 despite participating in all five editions since its inception in 2007. Their best performance came in 2007 where they qualified for the semi-final, losing to finalists Pakistan.

Prediction: New Zealand have been drawn in Group 2 along with India, Australia, Pakistan and winner of Group A qualifiers. While they do have match-winners on their side, their lack of confidence on the turning pitches in India will be something they will have to work on.

We predict them to finish behind India and Australia and above Pakistan, who they will just about manage to beat. Progress to the knock-out stages is highly unlikely considering the competition in the group.