The 14th match of the tournament will be of Group C between New Zealand (NZ) and Afghanistan (AFG). The match will be live at 05:00 A.M. (IST) and 07:30 P.M. (local).
Teams Analysis
New Zealand (NZ):
This team will play their first encounter in this T20 World Cup tournament. They have a match winning line-up from so long but they were unable to get that trophy to their name. Kane Williamson will again be seen leading the team again and carries a huge experience in this department.
Kane Williamson who is known for his patience and simplicity on the field but when it came to winning the match, his sharp mind took it all for the team. With a strike rate of 123.64 he scored 2547 runs with the bat and has managed 18 half-centuries to his name. He played a lot of T20 leagues all around the world and that will give him an advantage to play easily in any conditions.
Devon Conway, the opener of the team who remained away from the team due to injury, got fit before the tournament. He has been a consistent performer of the team who contributes well from the start. He has scored 1338 runs in which 10 half-centuries were included. His partner Rachin Ravindra is not less than a beast and his current performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup got him the place in the squad. Though he didn’t play much international T20, his all-round performance will help the team in this tournament.
Finn Allen, a hard hitter of the ball has a strike rate of 163.60 has 2 centuries and 4 half-centuries till now. Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips will play the finishing role for the team. Both of them going aggressive in the death overs. Chapman has a strike rate of 133.10 and scored 1544 runs while Phillips has scored 143.29 and scored 1817 runs.
The pace department will be handled by experienced Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson. Boult is known for his brilliance in the powerplay and in the death overs as batters find him hard to pick. His average is 23.24 and has taken 77 wickets till now. Ferguson’s sheer pace and bouncer are always hard to play but he needs to be a little more consistent with his line and length as he goes expensive sometimes in his spell. He has got 54 wickets till now.
Mitchell Santner will be the team’s main spinner. Though he can also bat well lower down the order and helped the team to contribute well.
Probable Playing 11 of New Zealand (NZ):
Kane Williamson (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry.
Afghanistan (AFG):
A dream opening match of the team after their ruthless victory against Uganda, where they showed a brilliant performance in both the departments. This is the only underdog team who has shown a lot of improvement in cricketing skills in the last 2-3 years. Their motivation for winning is always seen in the field, due to which they gained so much momentum.
Rashid Khan, the leader of the team bowled fantastically well after grabbing 2 wickets in his 4 overs and conceded only 12 runs. He is the man behind the success of the team in most of the matches as he is showing consistency in this department. Batters mostly find it difficult to play against him.
Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran provided the team a solid start in the first match. Both of them registered a brilliant half-century. Gurbaz scored 76 runs in 45 balls while Zadran got 70 runs in 46 balls. Both of them carried the burden of scoring very well and gained the momentum for the team. The same deadly combination is expected by the team again.
Najibullah Zadran, Azamtullah Omarzai and Gulabdin Naib failed to give their contribution to the team in the first match. Still these players have a lot of caliber to prove themselves. Omarzai and Naib also can contribute in the bowling department well.
Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled his career best spell after grabbing 5 wickets in the match against Uganda. He only conceded 9 runs in his 4 overs and broke the team’s top order very well. Naveen-ul-Haq also gave him a brilliant support from the other end after taking 2 wickets by conceding only 4 runs in 2 overs.
Probable Playing 11 of Afghanistan (AFG):
Rashid Khan ©, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulabdin Naib, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Pitch Report for the match between New Zealand (NZ) and Afghanistan (AFG):
The match will be played at Providence Stadium, Guyana. The pitch gets slower with the match progress, therefore bowlers will get a lot of swing and spin. Scoring runs is a bit hard on this surface, as a result batters will not get much help from the pitch. Batting first will be a great choice after winning the toss.
Weather Report:
The match is under the radar of huge rain as there is a expectation of showers throughout the day with 80% probability. Humidity will also close to 81%, making it hard for the players to play. The highest temperature may be recorded as 30 degree celsius while the lower will be 26 degree celsius.
Best 11 for the match between New Zealand (NZ) and Afghanistan (AFG):
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Ibrahim Zadran, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Azmatullah Omarzai, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi.