ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Three opponents New Zealand might struggle to beat

After the conclusion of the Indian Premier League, the focus is now shifted to the ICC Cricket World Cup which is scheduled to begin from the 30th of May 2019 in England and Wales.

The ten-team tournament will start with hosts England, India and Australia tipped to clinch the title while New Zealand will enter the competition as the dark horses, having finished as runners-up of the 2015 edition.

New Zealand boasts of a world-class squad with the strong batting order comprising of skipper Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, and Ross Taylor. The middle order has the presence of all-rounders Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme while the pace battery is well rounded with experienced pacers such as Trent Boult and Tim Southee set to lead the unit.

However, New Zealand have failed to win a single World Cup and here, we have a look at the three opponents who could give a tough fight to New Zealand in this World Cup.

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#3 India

India v New Zealand – ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Warm Up

India is one of the strongest teams in this year's ICC World Cup. Having played in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), most of the Indian players have been in great form. While talking about playing against India, New Zealand enjoy a pretty good rivalry.

New Zealand were the runners up of the 2015 World Cup but failed to get past the line while India had a dismal show. The two teams have faced each other seven times in the history of the World Cup, with New Zealand winning four encounters with a win percentage of 57.14. However, India registered a 4-1 series win against them earlier this year where Mohammad Shami's searing pace did the job for India and earned him the 'Man of the Series' award.

Yet, New Zealand claimed an easy win over India in their first warm-up game of this World Cup at the Kennington Oval, London where Trent Boult's 4-wicket haul and James Neesham's three wickets dismantled India's batting.

However, India have a strong all-round side, with the top three of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli oozing class and the likes of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah proving their worth as match-winners.

New Zealand will play against India on June 13 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham and it is expected that India will bounce back and could be a hurdle for New Zealand in their way of winning the title.

#2 England

England v Afghanistan – ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Warm Up

England will be entering the competition as the hosts and it is expected that they will get a huge advantage of playing in their home conditions. Alongside India and Australia, England too is considered as one of the strongest teams of the competition.

The two teams have faced each other eight times in the history of World Cup in which New Zealand have five wins with a win percentage of 62.50. However, England have been in great form as they recently won the five-match ODI series against Pakistan by a 4-0 margin and will walk into the tournament high on confidence.

It was a high-scoring series as England put up more than 300 runs in every game which showcased their batting power, a key factor of England's strengths in the competition. If New Zealand's pace attack fails to restrict them, it would be tough for them to win the tournament.

New Zealand will face England on the 3rd of July, nearly at the end of the league stage and it will be interesting to see how the Englishmen handle the Black Caps' bowling unit.

#1 Australia

Australia v Sri Lanka – ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Warm Up

Australia is the most successful teams in the history of ICC World Cup with five title wins across eleven editions of the tournament. The Kiwis have played against Australia on ten occasions but have won just three games, with a win percentage of only 30%.

With the addition of David Warner and Steve Smith to the Australian roster, both of who enjoyed a top run in the Indian Premier League, the defending champions boast of a very strong squad and could be expected to clinch their sixth title.

Australia defeated New Zealand in the 2015 edition of the World Cup and New Zealand will take on Australia on the 29th of June at Lord's, London and a revenge could be on the cards.

However, it will be interesting to see how the two heavyweights take up the challenge and build their path to the title charge.