Kane Williamson will make his return to the New Zealand side as the Blackcaps announced their squad for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India from October 5. New Zealand have named their 15-player group for the competition. They confirmed the group at Papatoetoe High School in Auckland on Monday. Kane Williamson was confirmed as a squad member this week. He made a quicker-than-expected recovery from a ruptured ACL at the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). Both Williamson and fast bowler Tim Southee will appear at their fourth World Cup.
ODI World Cup 2023: New Zealand announces their squad
Mark Chapman has earned his spot, as well as 23-year-old spin-bowling all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, who claimed 3/48 against England in the first of four ODIs on Friday. Adam Milne, who recently picked up a hamstring injury on New Zealand's tour of England, missed out.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead admitted he faced some tough decisions when deciding on the final squad. "It is always a special time to name a tournament team and I'd like to congratulate the 15 players selected today. It is a great honour to represent your country at a World Cup," Stead said.
"From Kane and Tim heading to their fourth tournament to the guys selected for the first time, it is always a very exciting time. As with any squad named for an ICC tournament, there have been some tough calls and there will be some disappointed players. The key for us was finding the right balance for the squad and making sure we had our bases covered for what is going to be a very competitive tournament," he added.
New Zealand will meet England and Bangladesh in ODIs before taking on England again in a rematch of the 2019 Final in the World Cup opener on October 5.
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young
After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.
Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.
The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.
India will play New Zealand twice
India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.
It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.
India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026
In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.
The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.
Cricket, a sport loved by millions around the world, has witnessed the rise of several legendary players. In the modern era, four exceptional batsmen have stood out with their consistent brilliance, earning them the title of the “Fab Four players.” Their performances are often compared under the widely discussed Fab four Stats.
Virat Kohli recently announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier today (May 12) with a post on his official Instagram handle. He ended his 14-year illustrious career in the format.
In this article, we will take a closer look at their remarkable careers, comparing their updated statistics and achievements to understand what makes them the finest batsmen of the modern era in Test cricket.
So, let's take a look at the statistics of the Fav Four in Test cricket.
Fav four in Test cricket | Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith
Test cricket, often considered the ultimate test of a player’s skill and temperament, has seen these four players shine brightly. Here’s how they stack up in the longest format.
Virat Kohli's peak in Test cricket arrived well before the likes of Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Steve Smith matched him toe to toe during that period, but the 12-month ban due to the sandpaper gate overshadowed his brilliance in the format.
However, when we compare the numbers of Fab four in 2025, Kohli has fallen way behind his contemporaries. Root is at the peak of his powers in Test cricket in the last five years while Williamson has never really been out of form in the whites.
Smith has been on and off over the last couple of years, but his form has never been a concern for Australia in Tests. When it comes to runs, averages and centuries, Kohli ranks last among Fab four and a lot of it has to do with his downfall in the format since November 2019.
Fav four in Test cricket | How Kohli finished in Tests compared to Fab four
It is certain that Virat Kohli, who was once untouchable in the debate of Fab Four, will remain at the bottom forever when compared to his contemporaries. Only if his form hadn't dropped after November 2019, the 36-year-old, today, has stepped down from the format with some unreal numbers.
If anyone has followed cricket casually over the last decade, they're likely familiar with four key names: former Indian captain Virat Kohli, batting genius Steve Smith, English great Joe Root, and New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer Kane Williamson.
They together are known as the 'Fab Four' in the modern era of cricket.
Each of them has set new benchmarks for performance, continually pushing one another to enhance their skills. These four batsmen have not only dominated the world of cricket but have also met the expectations of their respective nations.
In this article, we will examine the statistics of the Fab Four across all formats.
Fav Four in cricket: How many runs & centuries have they scored in International Cricket?
Virat Kohli has been the most prolific all-format batter among the fav-four. Kohli, till now in his 550 international games, has scored 27,599 runs with an outstanding average of 52.27. His record of 82 international centuries is only second to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 international centuries.
Joe Root comes in second among them with 20,724 runs so far for England across formats. However, undoubtedly, he has been the best test batter of his generation with 12972 test runs, which sets him as the highest test run scorer for England. Root has also scored 53 international hundreds, of which 36 came in tests only.
Kane Williamson, New Zealand's highest runscorer in international cricket, comes at number three in terms of international runs among the fav four. The former Kiwi leader has scored 19,086 runs so far in his career at an average of 48.56. Kane is now only two short of reaching 50 international hundreds.
Aussie great Steven Smith comes at four with 17,165 runs at an average of 47.81. A late bloomer with the bat, Smith has been outstanding for Australia in tests and ODIs. Along with Root, Smith has also been one of the greatest test batters of this generation.
Here is a comparison of international stats of the fav four.
ICC Anounces Venue and Key Dates for The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 England
ICC has confirmed seven venues that will host the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in England next year, with the Lord's Cricket Ground set as the venue for the Final.
The ICChas officially announced that the Final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on 5th July. The news was shared during a special launch event at Lord’s on 1st May.
Alongside this major reveal, it was confirmed that the matches will also be played at other popular venues across England, including Edgbaston, the Hampshire Bowl, Headingley, Old Trafford, The Oval, and the Bristol County Ground.
The tournament is set to kick off on 12th June and will run for 24 days, featuring a total of 33 matches leading up to the highly anticipated final at Lord’s. The complete match schedule is expected to be released soon.
All the confirmed venues for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. Image | ICC
Featuring a record 12 teams, the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history. With two more teams than the previous edition, fans can expect fierce competition as the world’s top sides battle it out for the title.
Qualified Teams for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026
England (Host)
Australia
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Four additional teams will join them through the Qualifier scheduled next year.
The 12 teams will be split into two groups of six for the group stage, followed by the knockout rounds and finals.
Official Statement
ICC Chairman Jay Shah opened up about the tournament, saying, "The confirmation of venues represents a defining moment as we build towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026"
"The sell-out Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 remains a landmark in the rise of the women’s game, and I cannot think of a more fitting stage for the final."
"As we turn our focus to preparing for the tournament, we are excited by the promise of thrilling T20 action that will not only captivate fans here but also serve as a showcase for cricket’s return on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles 2028."
Legacy
New Zealand Women's Cricket Team celebrating their 1st title defeating South Africa in the final. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Moving on from the most recent edition, hosted by Bangladesh in the UAE in 2024, saw New Zealandclaim their first-ever title, defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the final.
The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup will mark the milestone 10th edition of the tournament, which began in 2009.
Indian Men's Cricket team have won a total of 7 ICC trophies so far in their history. Here is a detailed article on India's performance in every ICC tournament.
India's performance in the ICCevents has been mixed in recent years. The title win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 ended India’s 11-year-long ICC title drought after it last won a global tournament back in 2013 - the ICC Champions Trophy.
Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.
So far, India have collected 7 ICC trophies including two 50 over World Cups, three Champions Trophy, and two T20 World Cups in 2007 and 2024.
Mahendra Singh Dhonihas won 3 ICC events as a captain and Rohit Sharma has 2 in those 7 ICC trophies that India won so far. In this article, SportzPoint will give you details on India's performances in every ICC tournaments so far.
ICC Cricket World Cup (1975 - 2023):
India lost the 2023 ICC World Cup final against Australia.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) started the ODI World Cup back in the year 1975. From then, ICC organized the tournament a total of 13 times. Australia are the most successful in the format as they won 6 titles so far.
India won their first World Cup under Kapil Dev back in 1983 and next under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011. With 2 titles India are the second most successful team alongside West Indies in the 50 overs format after Australia.
Indian Men's Cricket team also lost two ODI World Cup finals, one under Sourav Ganguly in 2003 and another one under Rohit Sharma in 2023. Here is how India performed in the each of the 13 editions of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
India's performance in every ICC Cricket World Cup
Year
Result
1975
6th
1979
7th
1983
Champions
1987
Semi-Final
1992
7th
1996
Semi-Final
1999
6th
2003
Runner's up
2007
9th
2011
Champions
2015
Semi-Final
2019
Semi-Final
2023
Final
ICC Champions Trophy (1998 - 2025):
ICC started a new tournament of the 50 overs format in 1998 called the Champions Trophy. It was also referred as a "Mini World Cup". Till 2006 the Champion's Trophy was held every two years. After that, it continues with a gap of 4 years from 2009.
In 2003, India reached the Finals of the tournament along with Sri Lanka. As the match got washed out and India were declared joint winners.
However, India finally won the ICC Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni in 2013 after defeating England by 5 runs.
In 2025, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai to lift the trophy for the third time. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.
Let's take a look at India's performance in the tournament so far.
India won their latest ICC T20 World Cup in 2024. Image | ICC
International Cricket Council introduced a new format marquee tournament in 2007 as T20 Cricket started to grow globally. ICC started the T20 World Cup in the year 2007. India defeated their arch-rival Pakistan in the final that year and won the inaugural T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni.
ICC World Test Championshipstarted in the year 2019 as New Zealand won the inaugural WTC after defeating India in the ICC World Test Championship 2021 Final.
India once again qualified for the Test Championship final in 2023 and this time, it was Australia who challenged them. India bottled their chance to win an ICC trophy after waiting for a decade and lost the match by a huge margin of 209 runs.
In 2023-25 World Test Championship, India failed to qualify for the final.
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