Trent Boult

With the ability to swing the ball both ways, left-armer Trent Boult possesses phenomenal ability when running in through the 30 yards. Seaming conditions obviously aided his style of bowling but the fact that he can make the ball talk on tracks which virtually had nothing in them, makes him a significant threat to batsmen all around the world.

Establishing himself in New Zealand

Born in Rotorua, Boult jumped onto the international stage when he was invited to the New Zealand A team for the 2007 winter training squad in Lincoln. He was a typical Kiwi lad, enjoying the water sports in his country like most people did. Cricket, though, was where his wandering heart eventually landed upon. In 2008, one year later, he was selected for the New Zealand U-19 team that would go on to play the World Cup.

Earning a spot in the international lineup

Boult’s career didn’t exactly take off as he’d have liked to. A couple of years before making his Test debut, he had suffered a major stress fracture on his back, which was largely down to his tinkered bowling action.

He took help from one of his idols and ex-Kiwi great Shane Bond and went back to his old bowling action which yielded him much success in his younger days and saw himself improve. He took his time to improve himself physically, conditioned his body well and got ready for the big stage.

Trent Boult had a decent start to his would-be-illustrious career in whites, scalping 17 wickets in his first 6 games, against teams like Australia, South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe and India. His debut came in 2011 against Australia in Hobart, where he picked up 4 wickets in that game, helping his side win a Test Down Under for the first time since 1985.

He put in consistent performances throughout but his moment to shine came in 2013 against the Windies at the Basin Reserve where he got his maiden ten-wicket haul in Tests.

Becoming part of a formidable pace attack

Trent Boult has been highly rated by former New Zealand great Sir Richard Hadlee, who thinks he’s one of the best new ball bowlers the Kiwis have ever had. He formed one half of the deadly duo with good friend Tim Southee, a pair which was the focal point of many wins they achieved.

In 2014, which was Black Caps’ best Test year, the pair collected 67 out of 143 wickets in that year - almost half of the total. Skipper Brendon McCullum always had a taste for the attacking flavour and with Boult collecting wickets like a hunter on the top of his game.

Due to the Kiwis lack of quality in pace at the time, Trent Boult spearheaded the attack along with Southee and come the 2015 World Cup, he ended up as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 22 wickets to his name. He was one of the key figures in New Zealand making it to their first ever World Cup final.

Boult has taken 317 wickets in just 78 Test matches, before calling it a day in the format in 2022. His career came to a close with a successful performance in the World Test Championships final in 2021, helping New Zealand to an ICC trophy.

IPL successes

Trent Boult was snapped up by Hyderabad in 2015, before eventually making the switch to Kolkata in 2017, both being big money signings. In the following year, Delhi bagged his services and in spite of his team not faring well, he played a good hand and finished with 18 wickets. He was picked up by Mumbai in the 2020 auction for 3.2 crores. Accompanying Jasprit Bumrah, Boult was a key piece of the attack as the Indians lifted that year’s IPL trophy.