Cricket: Martin Guptill looks to past glory for Twenty20 World Cup inspiration

Martin Guptill's performance at the 2016 edition of the tournament was game-breaking. Photo / Photosport

As he heads into his sixth Twenty20 World Cup, Black Caps opener Martin Guptill knows which performance he needs to emulate.

The 35-year-old has produced mixed returns from the pinnacle event of cricket's shortest format, with his five appearances returning one solid effort (England 2009), three below-par tournaments (South Africa 2010, Sri Lanka 2012, Bangladesh 2014) and one excellent showing (India 2016).

In 2016, he racked up 140 runs in four innings at a booming 157 strike rate, with his 27-ball 39 against Australia and 80 off 48 balls against Pakistan creating two impressive victories.

Five years on, Guptill is hopeful he can wind back the clock for another standout tournament, and while predicting Guptill's form is about as difficult as assessing the conditions the Black Caps are set to face in the UAE, the available indicators are promising.

Warm-up innings of 30 off 20 balls against Australia and 41 off 20 against England offer a glimpse of strong form, and Guptill has also been banking on his memories of 2016 as proof he is primed to produce when the Black Caps kick off their Cup campaign against Pakistan at 3am on Wednesday.

"I was looking at the last World Cup and I was our top run scorer, so I can draw on that experience and that confidence that I've been able to do it before. I'm just looking forward to going out and doing my thing and making sure I'm being as positive as I can be at the top of the order."

That positivity will be crucial, with Black Caps batting coach Luke Ronchi says the opening six powerplay overs are the best time to bat.

"With the way the surfaces change, if you can get some early momentum into the innings that helps in the middle overs where it can get tougher. If we can get off to a good start and get a good platform then it serves you well through the rest of the innings."

Those changing surfaces will also require an adaptable approach, with Ronchi acknowledging the top order will have to make up plans on the fly and constantly reassess the conditions.

"We have to be ready for different eventualities. The guys have always been really good at that, they're open-minded about how they play their cricket, so that's a plus for us and we need to do that the whole way through the competition."

According to Ronchi, there's no better man to lead the way than Guptill.

"He seems clear-headed; he's going out and playing some fantastic cricket and running around with a lot of energy – that's Gup, that's him at his best. That's what everyone likes to see and wants to see.

"He can do amazing things in the powerplay and the first 10 overs - his energy at the top can change the game."

Martin Guptill at the T20 World Cup

2009 – 102 runs at 34, strike rate of 129

2010 – 45 runs at 15, strike rate of 69

2012 – 75 runs at 18.8, strike rate of 97

2014 – 47 runs at 11.8, strike rate of 81

2016 – 140 runs at 35, strike rate of 157