Afghanistan is ready to face New Zealand in the 14th International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup 2024 match, which will be played in Providence Cricket Stadium, Guyana.
Teams Review:
Afghanistan defeated Uganda by 125 in their first match of the ongoing event. Afghanistan is considered the best T20 side due to its bowling attack, and now it has improved its batting as well. Rehmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are their openers, and they can disturb any bowling lineup in a power play.
Apart from this, Rashid Khan, one of the best bowlers in T20, could be a nightmare for the opponent team.
On the other hand, the Kiwis team is also a strong contender in the T20 format. Their batting lineup includes Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Glen Phillips, Kane Williamson, and Daryl Mitchell.
In bowling, Trent Boult, who was recently in very good form in the Indian Premier League (IPL), can make his impact for New Zealand.
Key Players:
Afghanistan: Openers Rehmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Gulabdin Naib are the striking batters on the Afghan side. Apart from this, Rashid Khan can play an important role in this match.
New Zealand: New Zealand’s best openers are Glen Philips and Finn Allen, while their skipper Kane Williamson, who is the anchor batsman, can make Kiwis’ life easy.
Head to Head:
Afghanistan faced New Zealand once in their T20 history. New Zealand has won this maiden contest.
Providence Cricket Stadium Pitch:
The surface of this stadium seems slow if we look at the previous two games. The batter seems to struggle on this pitch, while the spinner can do well on it. Apart from this, this pitch assisted the Pacers in the early stages of the match.
The average run on this pitch is 160.
Here are the probable playing XI of both teams:
Afghanistan playing XI:
Rashid Khan (captain), Rehmanullah Garbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Umarzai, Muhammad Nabi, Gulbuddin Naib, Mujeebur Rahman, Noor Ahmed, Naveen ul Haq, Fazal. Haq Farooqui, Farid Ahmad Malik
New Zealand playing XI:
Kane Williamson (captain), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Dion Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Nesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee
Live Streaming:
Live Streaming (On TV)
Pakistan: Ten Sports & PTV Sports
India: Star Sports
UK: Sky Sports
West Indies: ESPN Caribbean
South Africa: SuperSport
Live Streaming (Online)
Pakistan: Tamasha app & Myco app
India & Bangladesh: Disney+Hotstar
UK: Sky Go app
West Indies: ESPN Play Caribbean’s app
USA: Willow TV’s website
South Africa: SuperSport’s app
Australia: Amazon Prime Video
Match Details:
Afghanistan and New Zealand will play at Providence Cricket Stadium, Guyana, on June 8. The match will start at 4:30 a.m. (PST), 5:00 a.m. (IST), and 11:30 p.m. (GMT) on June 7.
Match Predictions:
Both teams are considered the best in the T20 format, but based on stats and team combinations, New Zealand will win this match.
Possible Scenarios:
Scenario 1:
NZ won the toss and decided to bat first
Power Play: 50-55 runs
First-inning Total: 165-175
NZ won the match
Scenario 2:
NZ won the toss and decided to bowl first
Power Play: 45-50 runs
First inning total: 150-155
NZ won the match