
Match Details
Date: October 18, 2023
Time : 2:00 PM IST
Venue : MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Live Ball-By-Ball Commentary : SportsTiger App
Also Read: ODI World Cup 2023 Live Scores Here
Preview
New Zealand are going to compete against Afghanistan in the 16th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. After registering three straight victories in the quadrennial spectacle, the BlackCaps have emerged as a big contender for the coveted trophy, while in their previous outing, Afghans got the better of defending champions England to break open the round robin stage. New Zealand have secured two wins against Afghanistan in their last two meetings in the ODI World Cup, which could easily mean a 4-0 start for them in the ongoing edition of the flagship tournament.
Pitch Report
The pitches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, for the ODI World Cup 2023, have kept the batters and bowlers in the game all the time. The average first innings score at this venue in ODIs is 232, which is something both New Zealand and Afghanistan will have to breach, to give themselves the best chance to win against each other on October 18.
Team Analysis
New Zealand
The batting lineup of New Zealand have been one of the most consistent in the ODI World Cup 2023, with Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, and Rachin Ravindra leading the way, while their captain Kane Williamson tries to find his feet in the flagship tournament. The bowling attack of the BlackCaps has been performing just as well as their batters, if not better, thanks to regular wickets from the likes of Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Mitchell Santner.
SportsTiger Playing XI of New Zealand
Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c)/(wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Afghanistan
In the batting side of things, Afghanistan have found a gem at the top of the order in Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who has been the key scorer for them in the ODI World Cup 2023, alongside captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Ikram Alikhil, the newest introduction to the side. The spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi were instrumental for Afghanistan in beating the defending champions England by a comfortable margin.
SportsTiger Playing XI of Afghanistan
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Match Prediction
Conclusion
New Zealand are playing some of the best ODI cricket in recent memory among all the nations, making them one of the toughest teams to beat in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. But still, Afghanistan won’t be shying away from going toe-to-toe with them in their upcoming match, especially after scalping for England in their previous outing.
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