New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup update: The nail-biting match between New Zealand vs Afghanistan (NZ vs AFG) is all set to take place on October 18 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The NZ vs AFG match will begin at 02:00 pm whereas the toss will be conducted at 01:30 pm.
The match comes days after Afghanistan emerged victorious against England in Delhi. Afghans won the match against the English team by a margin of 69 runs. New Zealand, on the other hand, has remained unbeaten in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 as they have won all the three matches played so far.
On October 13, New Zealand won the match against Bangladesh by 8 wickets with 43 balls remaining. The Blackcaps also won their match against Netherlands by a margin of 99 runs on October 9. On October 5, they also won their opening match against England by 7 wickets with 91 balls remaining.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup: When, where to watch
The match will take place on Wednesday. Cricket lovers can tune into Star Sports Network channels to watch the match.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup live streaming
The NZ vs AFG match will be livestreamed on the Disney+Hotstar app and website.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup match venue
The match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, one of India’s oldest cricket stadiums. The stadium, notorious for the most humid climate, can accommodate more than 38,000 cricket fans.
Two World Cup matches have been organised at the stadium so far– India vs Australia on October 8 and New Zealand vs Bangladesh on October 13. The stadium will also host the Pakistan vs Afghanistan and Pakistan vs South Africa matches on October 23 and 27 respectively.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup pitch report
The MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch is expected to prove beneficial for spinners due to the presence of dry, red soil and will prove to be challenging for batsmen to put runs on board.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup weather prediction
Chennai is expected to witness clear skies with a peak temperature hovering around 32 degrees Celsius at afternoon and lowering to around 29 degrees Celsius towards the evening. There is also a high likelihood of humidity towards the evening.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup: Key players to watch
New Zealand boasts of a strong batting lineup with its top order comprising the likes of Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Will Young and all-rounder Rachin Ravindra.
Kane Williamson, on the other hand, has been rested due to a fracture on his left thumb during the match against Bangladesh. Due to Williamson’s injury, Tom Latham has taken up the role of team captain.
Key spinners to watch on the Kiwis’ side are Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner. Afghanistan, on the other hand comprises batsmen like opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Ikram Alikhil.
Afghanistan’s spinning lineup comprising Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Mohammed Nabi can prove to be a potential threat to the Blackcaps’ batting.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup playing 11 probable
New Zealand probable 11: Tom Latham (c/wk), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Will Young and Trent Boult
Afghanistan probable 11: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zardan, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi
New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup squads
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, and Will Young
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, and Naveen ul Haq
Also Read: Cricket World Cup 2023: Netherlands beats South Africa in another big upset
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