In Match 11 of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, New Zealand and Bangladesh square off in Chennai. At 14:00 local time, the game begins at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
New Zealand leads the group stage going into the encounter on Thursday with two victories to its credit after dominating the Netherlands and England by 99 runs and 9 wickets. Before suffering a crushing defeat to England by 137 runs on Tuesday, Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in their opening match.
With the return of their captain, New Zealand looks poised to elevate their squad to a new level. They have found their form in this format at the perfect time. Even if the playing surface may favor some Bangladeshi athletes, New Zealand is optimistic that it can win its third straight game in this competition.
With so many potent spin bowling options, Bangladesh will consider the Chennai pitch to be in their favor. The Tigers have recently struggled to score enough runs, so they will need some huge runs to remain competitive in this game.
NZ vs BAN Team Preview & Squads
New Zealand
In the World Cup, Rachin Ravindra has emerged as a star for the Kiwis. The all-rounder who bowls spin has been moved up to No. 3 and has scored 123* and 51 against England and the Netherlands, respectively. His presence has significantly improved New Zealand’s batting lineup.
In this game, Devon Conway is the player we need to watch out for. In the opening round of this World Cup, his amazing undefeated 152 against England was an absolute masterclass and demonstrated just how deadly he can be. Additionally, keep an eye out for Daryl Mitchell. The middle-order hitter has already struck three hundreds this season and averages 43.75 in ODIs.
Mitchell Santner is probably the bowler who makes the difference on this pitch from a bowling perspective. Trent Boult’s opening burst will also need to be avoided by Bangladesh.
New Zealand Squads
New Zealand
Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham (wk), Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Trent Boult
Bangladesh
The Tigers will love this wicket. They should always be competitive since their spin bowlers should have enough traction here. With all of his cunning and expertise, Shakib Al Hasan will unquestionably serve as Bangladesh’s primary bowler on this surface.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mahedi Hasan will probably each bowl ten overs in this match. They prefer these surfaces, so if they can maintain their lengths and lines, the Kiwi batters will have a difficult time removing them. Shoriful Islam is another bowler who can have an impact in this situation.
However, Bangladesh’s batting has not appeared to be in great health. The team will be depending on Najmul Hossain Shanto (328 runs from the last 5 matches) in addition to Shakib to perform. The previous game’s outstanding 76 off 66 balls scorer Litton Das can potentially have an impact. Then there is Mushfiqur Rahim, arguably the best batter from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Squads
Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mahedi Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Litton Das, Shoriful Islam
It’s possible that the team tossing here will be inclined to chase. They could have to bat first and attempt to put on a high total, though, due to the oppressive heat and humidity.
Chennai will experience warm and muggy weather.
The Chennai pitch always provides a turn for the spin bowlers. A par score is predicted to be around 280 on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
NZ vs BANHead-to-Head Stats of Last 5 Matches
New Zealand has 4 wins in the last five face-offs and Bangladesh has none.