New Zealand and Afghanistan will face off in the 16th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
New Zealand have made a strong start to their campaign, winning all three matches so far comfortably. Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, and Tom Latham have all scored runs, while the bowling attack led by Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, and Lockie Ferguson have been well-supported. New Zealand will be looking to continue their winning momentum and solidify their position at the top of the table.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, have won one match in three, losing to Bangladesh and India. However, they bounced back to beat defending champions England by 69 runs in their previous match, which will give them a boost. They have shown glimpses of potential with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Rashid Khan, but they will need to play their best cricket if they want to upset New Zealand.
NZ vs AFG Head-to-Head Records:
New Zealand and Afghanistan have played each other in two ODIs, and New Zealand have won both.
Matches
New Zealand won
Afghanistan won
Tie
NR
2
2
0
0
0
MA Chidambaram Stadium Pitch Report:
The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is known for its batting-friendly pitch, which aids spinners. As the match progresses, the pitch slows down, and batters should aim for slow and steady knocks.
MA Chidambaram Stadium ODI Records:
In 25 ODIs played at the venue, the pacers have picked 213 at an average of 29.50, while spinners have picked 132 wickets at an average of 34.13. The teams batting first have won 14 games while teams chasing have won ten, with one game ending in a no-result. The average score batting first-batting score here is 232.
Matches Played
25
Won Batting First
14
Won Batting Second
10
No Result
1
Average First Innings Score
232
Highest Team Totals
337
Lowest team Totals
69
Matches won after winning toss
17
Matches won after losing toss
7
X-factors for New Zealand vs Afghanistan
New Zealand: Devon Conway
Devon Conway has been in sublime form in recent times and has scored 229 runs in the three games so far. In 2023, Conway has scored 678 runs in 13 innings at an average of 63.30. Since the game is in Chennai and Conway is used to batting at the venue, having played for Chennai Super Kings, he will be the X-factor for the game against Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Rahmanullah Gurbaz will be the X-factor for Afghanistan against New Zealand. He has been in good form with the bat in 2023, having scored 524 runs at an average of 37.42, with one half-century and two centuries. He will be one of the key players for Afghanistan against New Zealand.
NZ vs AFG Probable Playing XI
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: –
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi