ICC Champions Trophy: 5 reasons why New Zealand could be the dark horses

I have always believed that the New Zealanders are the most loved cricketing brigade across the globe. They haven’t really believed in sledging or been in the news for the wrong reasons. There are no reasons to hate them and they have played without qualms, knowing their limitations; often sporting a smile on their faces. They haven’t produced many superstars in recent times, but a very little has been wrong about their fielding and bowling.

Here are five reasons on why they could upset your favourite team’s plans at the Champions Trophy:

5. The Big Daddy is back

Yes, with the return of Daniel Vettori into the ODI setup, there seems to be a bit of confidence oozed into the New Zealand side. The last time when Vettori was seen with the Black Cap, he was leading the team in the 2011 World Cup. After the two-year break, he seems to be a relaxed man doing his job to perfection, and has been helping Brendon Mccullum in mentoring the inexperienced side. The biggest face of NZ cricket post Fleming, he could easily inspire this young side into glory in this tournament.

4. Team Spirit

It is a rare phenomenon to witness a disrupted New Zealand team playing on the field (forget the Taylor controversy). Their team spirit has been their greatest strength over the years, and more than the individual contributions, it has been their collective performance that has made them a competitive unit over the years. The players have complimented each other well, and in spite of two former captains in Ross Taylor and Vettori playing under Mccullum, they have rarely had complaints on the issue.

3. Aggressive top-order

Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Brendon Mccullum. The first guy is the man-in-form. When he gets going, he will just keep on continuing that. He is equipped enough to make 189 runs against England in English conditions, which I consider, as an Indian, the toughest thing on earth. The second and third names deserve no introduction. If form is temporary and class is permanent, expect them to get their willows ablaze at the right time. If that happens, then New Zealand are real and serious contenders for this Champions Trophy.

2. Bowlers for the conditions

As it was seen in the ODI series against England prior to the tournament and in their first league game against the Sri Lankans, the Kiwis have always had the right bowlers for the grounds in England. Mitchell Mcclenaghan, Tim Southee and the experienced Kyle Mills are always capable of dictating terms with the ball in the seaming conditions in England, and what has been surprising this time was the performance of their spinners against the Islanders, who are believed to be fine players of spin. Dan Vettori, Nathan Mccullum and part-timer Kane Williamson were right on the money, providing breakthroughs at crucial junctures.

1. Underdog status

The permanent underdogs of cricket, New Zealand, are always a very different team when it comes to ICC tournaments. But only a few realise the fact and they have very often been underestimated before the commencement of tournaments. But it has been this status that has provoked them to play pressure-free cricket, and a track record of their performance in the last decade shows that they have made it to the semi-finals in almost all the trophies that they have featured in. The beauty of the game has been in watching the underdogs triumph and I would be really happy if they played well enough to make it to the finals in the last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy. It’s high time we realised that they are the underdogs who could bite.