4 lethal opening batting combinations at the 2019 World Cup

#3 Martin Guptill & Colin Munro (New Zealand)

Martin Guptill and Colin Munro are largely unproven as a partnership in ODI cricket. It’s based on potential and individual performances that they make this list. Martin Guptill is a proven performer in ODI cricket, but Munro is yet to really make a mark in the white balls longest format.

Guptill shot to fame in the 2015 World Cup quarter-final against the West Indies, when he scored 237* to help the Blackcaps make the semi-final stages of the tournament. This was not a one-off performance. Guptill has scored 5351 ODI runs at a batting average of 45. He has 13 hundreds and 29 fifties throughout his career. He scores at a strike rate of 84 runs per 100 balls faced. This number is deceiving though.

For a lot of Guptill’s career, he was playing the anchor role at one end as Brendon McCullum was scoring rapidly at the other end. Colin Munro is yet to fully fulfill his potential in ODI cricket. In 16 innings he has scored 425 runs at an average of 26.56. He has 3 fifties to his name. His strike rate is impressive. He scores at a rate of 113 runs per 100 balls faced.

It’s in T20 cricket where he has shown the most potential. He averages 52.00 opening in the shortest format, scoring at a strike rate of 182.3 runs per 100 balls. This includes 2 hundreds and 4 fifties. Guptill and Munro both complement each other’s styles well.

If they can click there is no reason they can’t be the most dynamic opening duo throughout next year’s Cricket World Cup.