“New Zealand’s batting looks a bit weak ”- feels former Indian batter on Kane Williamson’s absence

New Zealand skipper Kane Willianson was unsure about his selection in the squad for the 2023 World Cup, and he was more likely to miss the first match of the tournament against world champion England. On the other hand, former Indian batter Akash Chopra feels New Zealand’s batting looks a bit weak for their star batter.

He expressed how the Kiwi team is always dependent on Kane Williamson’s batting; he also added that there are not many reliable batters in the team, so in this edition, their batting is a bit of a concern for New Zealand.

On his YouTube channel, while previewing the match, he expressed:

"New Zealand’s batting really looks a bit weaker compared to the last World Cup. With Kane Williamson not there for the first game against England, the batting was weaker. Devon Conway is a reliable player at the top, but there is Will Young at the other end because Finn Allen could not match expectations. Tom Latham needs to hold the middle order. He has to bat well, along with Daryl Mitchell in the middle."

"In Ahmedabad, if the pitch is flat and it is a batting track, they have only 2–3 bowlers who can exploit the condition well. If there is no Kane, there is no gain. The team’s batting is heavily dependent on him."

Kane Williamson has been the most consistent and reliable batter for the Kiwis for a decade now. He has been carrying their batting lineup on his shoulders in every form of the game. He has been the most consistent batter for the team and has been giving match-winning performances. In the last World Cup, he was the top run-getter for his team and also emerged as player of the tournament.

On the team, there are some other batters like Devon Conway and Tom Latham who can do the job for the team without their star batter in the first match of the tournament. It will be interesting to see them perform without their main batter and skipper.