New Zealand seek to turn 2024 fairytale into legacy

In a nutshell: Hope is New Zealand's gift to this T20 World Cup. Arriving on a 10-match losing streak, they looked among the least likely contenders before a famous opening-night victory over India sparked the competition's most remarkable title run. Their 2024 triumph left two kinds of hope: for everyone else, belief that form forecasts can be overturned; for New Zealand, belief that what they pulled off was a standard they can reach again.

Squad: Amelia Kerr (c), Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Nensi Patel, Georgia Plimmer, Izzy Sharp, Lea Tahuhu

Best XI: Suzie Bates, Izzy Gaze (wk), Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Izzy Sharp, Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing/Nensi Patel, Lea Tahuhu

Players to keep an eye on:

Amelia Kerr: New Zealand's new captain began her term with 101* against Zimbabwe. She's smashed 472 runs in 10 innings since (avg 52.44) with 11 wickets. Both her T20I hundreds have come in the last five months.

Sophie Devine: The T20 World Cup winning captain has 382 runs in the same period, scoring 45 and 87 in back-to-back games against England. Also a threat with the ball, bowling at her finest over the last 18 months.

What's in the news: Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, and Lea Tahuhu are retiring after this World Cup.

How have they performed since then: New Zealand played 14 of 17 T20Is at home. Their only away assignment was a 1-2 series loss to World Cup hosts England. Overall: nine wins, seven losses (five against Australia and England).

The big game: The opener against West Indies is a virtual shootout for a semis berth. Sri Lanka could be a banana peel – New Zealand's title defense began with a shock loss to Sri Lanka at home.

A record in sight: Devine needs 281 runs for 4,000 T20I runs. Bates could become the first to 5,000. Amelia Kerr plays her 100th T20I in the opener. Tahuhu is one wicket shy of 100.

Realistic expectation: At least the semifinals.