The ICC World Cup semi-finals will feature a India VS New Zealand Semi-Final Match. Although the Men in Blue suffered a devastating loss to the Black Caps in the previous competition, much has changed in the intervening four years. The Rohit Sharma-led squad will have home-field advantage at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
India VS New Zealand Semi-Final
If 2019 was MS Dhoni’s last World Cup, then 2023 may be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s last chance. The team’s goal is to win for themselves and the billions of fans who have been waiting for this moment for the previous 12 years. The Indian squad has won nine games in a row, but they won’t have it easy this time.
At the current ODI World Cup venue of Wankhede, chasing has been a difficult assignment for every team. Therefore, the coin toss can have a major impact. Batting first is recommended because even though winter has arrived, the heat in Mumbai may be exhausting. The team lead by Rohit Sharma has performed superbly with the bat and has a good chance of doing so again.
The Black Caps have proven to be a consistent contender in this tournament, having made the finals in both 2015 and 2019. Like Rohit and Kohli, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, and Tim Southee might see their ODI World Cup careers come to an end in this competition. Together since they were in the U19s, the three hope to end on a high note by winning the championship.
Overall, both clubs have several potential game-winners, thus the encounter on November 15 should be a classic. The winner team will advance to the finals in Ahmedabad, while the loser team will face the misery for years to come.
Comparison of World Cup ODI Matches
Ten of India and New Zealand’s ICC ODI World Cup matches have been against each other. There have been four victories for India, five for New Zealand, and one tie.
When these two teams met in the World Cup, India scored 274, and New Zealand scored 273. The lowest total achieved by New Zealand is 146, and India’s lowest is 150 in the premier event.
Pitch Report
The Wankhede Stadium pitch in Mumbai normally suits batters, but hitting under lights has been hard in the event. Therefore, the captain who wins the toss should choose to bat first, and a score of more than 340 runs is acceptable.
Probable Playing XIs
India: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips (wk), Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
