ICC World Cup 2019: Who are the biggest game-changers for New Zealand?

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 starts in 3 months, and all the participating nations are on their toes for the mega event. Every team will be travelling to England hoping to give their hundred percent and trying to get as close as possible to that trophy.

Currently, England and India are the top contenders to win this tournament, but ICC events have always had space for some epic upsets. Owing to the unpredictability of the event, no team can be written off easily.

Every team across the globe is consists of a couple or more players who are known as the X-factors of that particular team. These players have the ability to change the course of the game at any given time and single-handedly make a difference in the result of the game.

Who are those game-changing players for New Zealand?

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The Kiwis have emerged as a very powerful team in the past 5-6 years. They have risen in the ICC rankings and have been improving their record consistently. Overall, the team is very strong with players like Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner and Ross Taylor in the ranks.

However, the drawback for New Zealand is that all these players have not performed in a pack all at once. The team has been winning mostly on the basis of their individual performances rather than a true collective effort.

For New Zealand to win the trophy, these players will have to perform all at once and hunt in a pack.

Out of these players, the ones who are likely to make the biggest difference are pacer Trent Boult and captain Kane Williamson. If these two players are successful in making a strong impact, then New Zealand will be well on their way towards the illustrious trophy.

Boult has been exceptional for New Zealand with a total of 147 wickets in just 79 matches already. He is No. 3 in the ICC ODI bowler's rankings, which speaks volumes about his ability.

As for Williamson, at just 28 years of age, he has played 139 ODIs, amassing 5555 runs at an average of over 45. He has been a gem of a player for New Zealand, and will have the responsibility of leading his nation to what they have been waiting for years.

Runner-up in the previous World Cup, New Zealand just need their team to play as a unit and they will easily knock down the top sides in the world.