ICC Champions Trophy 2013: Martin Guptill – The unsung hero from Down Under

His rampaging 189 on a surface that would be the closest in comparison to one of the placid batting strips of New Zealand was not a plunder derived from a dream. Even after achieving so much in the blink of an eye, it is rather inexplicable to decipher Guptill’s journey to the peak of his batting prowess. However, judging by the time he’s been on the international scene and having exhibited the potency of his no-nonsense technique time and time again, this special evening was beckoning him for some time now.

He has been the only constant figure in a Kiwi top order that has been rejigged a lot in the past few years. From Marshall to Ingram and most recently Ronchi, Guptill has been trying to hold the batting order that either lacks experience or composure to take the side through. And to be fair, Guptill has done very little to let his country down, even on the darkest days, when the side had just won 4 ODIs in the next 2 years following a quarter-final loss in the 2011 World Cup. He’s kept his place in the side, while boasting a batting average of more than 40 and it gets as high as 54 when his side is chasing the game – clearly Guptill is not one to fold when the stakes are high. In fact, his record in the ODIs can only be compared to the likes of Nathan Astle, which in itself is a heartening comparison for the 26-year-old.

As the Kiwis kick-start another international tournament as the perennial underdogs, it’s the sheer unpredictability of characters like Guptill that can surprise the oppositions. If recent ODI form could have any reflection on this Champions Trophy campaign, then Guptill’s record-shattering performances should affirm his side’s capability to make an upset or two.

There have been only few New Zealanders in the past couple of decades that have reinvented the long lost defiant streak of their beloved Silver Fern – one of them was Chris Cairns, who single-handedly led the side to the ICC Knockout Championship win. If only Guptill would wield his magic willow against all odds in what is the last Champions Trophy ever, New Zealand will finally have a new cricketing hero to worship.