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CLAIM NOWNew Zealand vs Afghanistan, ICC WC 2023, Today Match Prediction 18 October 2023
Toss Winner - Afghanistan won the toss and choose to bowl first
New Zealand beat Afghanistan by 149 runs
Afghanistan have caused the first upset of the ICC World Cup 2023 by defeating defending champions England in their last game.
- New Zealand are yet to be beaten in this World Cup.
- Kane Williamson has fractured his left thumb and won’t feature in New Zealand’s next few fixtures.
- Afghanistan’s spinners are likely to make life difficult for New Zealand’s batters in this game.
We are backing New Zealand as the winners of this contest.
| Tournament: | ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 |
| Format: | oneday |
| Venue: | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India |
| Toss Prediction: | To Bowl |
| Weather: | 32.0°C|Mist |
NZ vs AFG Match Prediction & Analysis
Afghanistan have finally arrived at the ICC World Cup 2023, and how! They took down defending champions England at Delhi in the most emphatic fashion, thereby ing their first win of the tournament. That win has taken Afghanistan to sixth place in the points table. They have a tougher challenge ahead as they take on New Zealand at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on October 18. The Kiwis have remained unbeaten so far and are sitting comfortably in second place on the table with 6 points from three games and a net run rate of 1.604.
RECENT PERFORMANCE
NZ
W W W W W
NZ
AFG
W L L W L
AFG
261/2 in 38.1 6.84
ICCWCWARMUP
Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets
294/10 in 46.2 6.35
HEAD TO HEAD
Last 0 Matches
TEAMS PREVIEW
New Zealand Preview
New Zealand seem to be on a mission at this ODI World Cup. They have won three out of three and have looked like a complete team. They have taken down England, Netherlands, and Bangladesh without breaking a sweat and would look to continue their winning momentum.
Opener Devon Conway has been in excellent touch for the team. He has scored 229 runs in 3 matches at an average of 114 and a strike rate of 104. Conway has a lot of experience playing on this surface for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, and we are hence expecting another impactful knock from him in this game.
Another batter to watch out for is Daryl Mitchell. He has been one of the most successful middle-order batsmen for New Zealand in recent times, scoring 333 runs in 7 matches at an average of 83.25. In New Zealand’s previous encounter, which was incidentally played at the Chidambaram Stadium against Bangladesh, Mitchell smashed a wonderful unbeaten 89 off 67 balls in a chase of 246.
Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips have had a quiet tournament so far, but we are backing one of these two to have a memorable outing here.
New Zealand’s bowling has been led irably by Matt Henry (8 wickets in 3 matches at an economy of 4.23). However, the one bowler who can make a difference on this pitch is Mitchell Santner. The left-arm spinner has grabbed 8 wickets already and will surely trouble the Afghanistan batters here.
Also keep an eye out for Lockie Ferguson. the fast bowler ripped through Bangladesh’s batting unit with a three-wicket scalp the other day on the same pitch and may well do the same to Afghanistan.
New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:
Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
New Zealand Key Players From Previous Game Of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
New Zealand Actual Playing XI:
Devon Conway, Will Young, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell
Afghanistan Preview
Afghanistan have just pulled off the mother of all upsets. They secured their most iconic victory in international history, delivering the first major upset of the 2023 World Cup as they convincingly defeated the reigning world champions, England, by 69 runs in a masterful display of spin and seam bowling under the floodlights in Delhi.
The foundation for their dominance was laid by the fearless power-hitting of 21-year-old Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who blazed his way to 80 runs from 57 deliveries. Later, in his debut match of the year's World Cup, Ikram Alikhil guided Afghanistan's lower-order with a crucial half-century, propelling the team to an imposing total of 284.
Gurbaz is definitely the man to watch out for. He has amassed 478 runs in his last 10 matches at an average of 47.8 and would look to continue his form here.
A lot is also expected from Ibrahim Zadran, who hasn’t really fired in the tournament yet. However, he has had a good year in 50-over cricket, scoring 550 runs in 14 innings at an average of 42.30. So, a big knock is just around the corner, we feel. Perhaps this might be the game for him.
This pitch will suit Afghanistan’s spinners perfectly. There is slow turn and bounce, and the trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi will be more than handy here. The three shared 8 wickets between them in the previous game against England, which was also played on a similar surface. So, we expect the three to have a major effect in this match as well.
Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Afghanistan Key Players From Previous Game Of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
Afghanistan Actual Playing XI:
Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen ul Haq
PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
Weather Conditions
The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium has something in it for the bowlers, particularly spinners, throughout. Batting will be relatively easier in the first half of the first innings. However, as the pitch begins to wear down a little, spinners will come into play and batters will struggle to score freely. The ball also moves around a lot here under lights, so fast bowlers will have their chance in the first 10-odd overs of the second innings. Once dew sets in, though, the ball will come on nicely to the bat, and batting will become comfortable.
The weather in Chennai will be mostly warm and humid.
NZ vs AFG Pitch Report
In the two matches played at Chennai in the tournament, the teams batting first have managed totals of 199 and 245-9. The chasing sides then polished off the target after surviving the initial few overs. This can be another low-scoring encounter if the pitch remains the same. A target of around 270–280 might well be a winning one.
Toss: To Bowl
Both matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the World Cup have been won by the team batting second. Thus, the toss-winning team is almost certain to field first.
NZ vs AFG
Winning Prediction
Afghanistan will be flying high after that memorable win against England. But can they make it two out of two? New Zealand will be a different challenge. The Black Caps are functioning like a well-oiled unit and don’t get flustered easily. Moreover, they are much better players of spin than the English. So, even though the pitch will offer help to Afghanistan’s spinners, New Zealand’s batters are unlikely to crumble so quickly. Someone or another will stand up. However, if Afghanistan bats first and puts up another 270-ish total on the board, they might spring another surprise.
We are backing New Zealand as the winners of this contest.
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