New Zealand’s Swing King: Trent Boult

In cricket, we often talk about batting partnerships, or about iconic batting partners, like Shikhar Dhawan- Rohit Sharma. But we rarely see people mentioning bowling partnerships as it is often neglected.  People often discredit the impact of such partnerships on the game. Bowling partnership is when two bowlers can create an impact on the game by bowling tight overs from both the ends and both the bowlers complement each other's capabilities. It is when both the bowlers create a joint impact and when such impact results in getting breakthroughs. One such iconic bowling duo was of the two English pacers- James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Generations will remember their contribution in the field of cricket. 

Last updated: October 7, 2026

Another such iconic duo was Trent Boult and his partner Tim Southee. But today, in this article by ZAP cricket we will discuss Trent Boult’s journey and his contribution in the field of cricket. He started playing International cricket in 2011 and since then he has been an X Factor for whichever team he plays. 

Early life and domestic cricket 

Born on 22 July, 1989, Boult attended Otumoetai College. He played domestic cricket for Northern Districts and was accompanied by his brother Jonathan James Boult as he was also a cricketer. Both the brothers had the same specialization and they both used to play for the same domestic side. Young Boult used to idolize Wasim Akram, as he was also a quick pacer. Unlike his idol, Boult wasn’t very tall, he was 5 ft 11 in. His height was never a hindrance in his game as his biggest strength was his ability to swing the ball. Because he is a left handed bowler, he creates a natural angle and that often creates doubts in the minds of the batter. 

Boult got his big break in 2007 when he was picked in the New Zealand A team. Next year, he was selected in the squad that traveled to Malaysia for Under 19 World Cup.

International career 

With an impressive start in domestic cricket, Boult got picked in the national squad early. He made his Test debut on 9 December, 2011 vs Australia, ODI debut on 11 July, 2012 vs West Indies and T20I debut on 9 February, 2013 vs England.  

He is one of the most successful players to play for New Zealand. He is the third New Zealand bowler to take 250 wickets in test cricket. Not only that, In 2014, he became the 4th test bowler to claim 30+ wickets in consecutive years.

One of the traits that make Boult unique is his swinging deliveries with quick pace. Usually, a player lacks either of the two, but that is not the case with this New Zealander. He is a left arm bowler, hence, he is able to create a natural angle while bowling to right handed batsman. Moreover, he has a lot of variations in his kitty. All these factors combined make him a perfect blend. 

Trent Boult was a key member in the team that won the 2019-21 ICC World Test Championship. He has made some remarkable contributions in white ball ICC tournaments as well. He was the joint leading wicket taker in 2015 ICC World Cup. Not only that, he became the first bowler for New Zealand to take a hat-trick in Cricket World Cup.

Now, after the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, he announced his retirement from the shortest format as the team departed early in the tournament. He played his last T20I on 15 June, 2024 vs Uganda.

International stats 

Trent Boult against finest Indian batsman in international cricket  

Clearly, he was very effective against India as he dismissed all the highly ranked Indian batsmen multiple times and that too in all the three formats. Virat, Rohit and Dhoni are icons of the Indian Cricket Team and taking their wicket is always a big deal. Hence, these stats give an assurance of Boult’s quality in the international stage. 

Trent Boult in the IPL: Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and 2026

Boult's IPL journey has included Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals.

After three seasons with Rajasthan Royals from 2022 to 2024, Boult returned to Mumbai Indians for IPL 2025. He took 22 wickets and finished as MI's leading wicket-taker that season.

Mumbai Indians retained Boult for IPL 2026, again pairing his left-arm new-ball swing with Jasprit Bumrah in one of the league's most experienced pace attacks.

His franchise value has remained remarkably consistent: early wickets with the new ball, left-arm angle, swing at pace and enough experience to bowl in high-pressure phases.

IPL status and 2025 wicket tally checked against the official IPL player profile and 2026 retention announcement.