At a glance
- Reigning champions, beating South Africa in the final
- Runners-up in the first two finals
- Sophie Devine retiring after the tournament
New Zealand will be aiming to go back-to-back and retain the trophy they won in 2024. The team also has added motivation, with Sophie Devine set to retire after the tournament alongside teammates Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu.
Squad List
There is plenty of experience in this squad. Sophie Devine has 151 caps, Suzie Bates 181 caps, and Lea Tahuhu has 101. However, there are also players like Flora Devonshire and Bree Illing that will benefit from playing with that experience, making New Zealand a dangerous outfit.
New Zealand Squad
| Name | Caps |
| Melie Kerr (c) | 96 |
| Suzie Bates | 181 |
| Sophie Devine | 151 |
| Flora Devonshire | 3 |
| Izzy Gaze | 40 |
| Maddy Green | 120 |
| Brooke Halliday | 55 |
| Bree Illing | 7 |
| Polly Inglis | 9 |
| Jess Kerr | 49 |
| Rosemary Mair | 43 |
| Nensi Patel | 4 |
| Georgia Plimmer | 49 |
| Izzy Sharp | 11 |
| Lea Tahuhu | 101 |
Top Batters
| Name | Runs | Ave | SR |
| Suzie Bates | 4717 | 28.93 | 108.56 |
| Sophie Devine | 3587 | 28.46 | 121.55 |
| Melie Kerr | 1912 | 32.96 | 119.42 |
Top Bowlers
| Name | Wkts | Ave | ER |
| Sophie Devine | 128 | 18.87 | 6.67 |
| Melie Kerr | 104 | 20.12 | 6.06 |
| Lea Tahuhu | 98 | 19.85 | 6.39 |
Fixtures
13th June – West Indies @ Southampton 18:30 BST
16th June – Sri Lanka @ Southampton 14:30 BST
19th June – Ireland @ Southampton 18:30 BST
23rd June – Scotland @ Bristol 10:30 BST
27th June – England @ The Oval 18:30 BST
Prediction
New Zealand will once again be a dangerous side as they look to defend their title. They will also be well adjusted to the conditions after playing England in a series featuring three ODIs and three T20Is before the tournament.
I can see New Zealand reaching the semi-finals alongside England from their group, although they will likely face a strong challenge from a talented West Indies side.
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