IND vs NZ 2023: Players missing from World Cup 2019 semi-final clash

India and New Zealand are all set to square off against each other at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in the World Cup 2023. The Kiwis are sitting at the top of the points table with four wins in four games, while the Rohit Sharma-led team has also amassed four victories off four matches so far and is placed in the second position. 

In the huge clash, the Men in Blue will look to get the better of the Black Caps and win their first game against New Zealand in the International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments after 20 years. Both teams have met each other three times in the ICC events played in the last five years, and in all these matches, New Zealand have emerged victorious. In the World Cup 2019 edition played in England, New Zealand ended India’s campaign with an 18-run win in the semi-final at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester.

Since then, a lot has changed for both teams. India, who played the 2019 event under Virat Kohli, saw a change in guard in white-ball formats of the sport in December 2022, with Rohit Sharma appointed as a skipper. New Zealand also saw some positive changes following that tournament. Ahead of the superb clash, let’s look at the players from both World Cup 2019 semi-finalists who aren’t featuring in the World Cup 2023.

Here are the players missing from the World Cup 2019

1. MS Dhoni

The marquee knockout contest became MS Dhoni’s last game of his vast international career. In the important match, he hunted Colin de Grandhomme behind the wickets and scored 50 off 72 to take his team close to the target of 240 runs. The veteran was the last hope for the Men in Blue in that match, and with his run-out, the two-time world champions got folded for 221 with three deliveries to spare. Following this game, Dhoni didn’t play any game for more than one year, and on August 15, 2020, he hung his boots from the international circuit.  

2. Ross Taylor

Ross Taylor played an enormous role in New Zealand’s 18-run triumph against India. The right-handed batter chipped in with his 74-run knock off 90 deliveries and helped his team put up a challenging total of 239 runs on the board. Taylor announced his retirement from international cricket in December 2021, and his last appearance was against the Netherlands in a one-day international (ODI) match at Hamilton in April 2022. 

3. Martin Guptill

Martin Guptill was one of the most experienced players in New Zealand’s World Cup 2019 squad. The opener scored only one run from his bat in the semi-final against Virat Kohli and his men. After failing as a batter, he ran out MS Dhoni and ended India’s hopes in the game. Guptill was dropped from New Zealand’s white-ball team in October 2022 after failing to perform and meet expectations for a long time. In his place, Will Young is supporting Devon Conway as an opener in the World Cup 2023.  

4. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant isn’t a part of India’s World Cup 2023 team, as he is yet to recover after an accident in December 2022. In his place, KL Rahul is keeping wickets for India in the tournament. Pant was a part of India’s World Cup 2019 semi-final team against the Black Caps. The southpaw scored 32 off 56 in the marquee contest after India's top-order collapse.

5. Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik batted in the middle order in the 2019 knockout game. Batting at number five, he could chip in with only six runs off 25 deliveries. Following his failure in this game, the Indian team management didn’t pick him up for ODIs again. The wicketkeeper batter played his last international match in the T20 World Cup 2022 match against Bangladesh in Adelaide.

6. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a key player in India’s World Cup 2019 team. In the huge knockout match against Kane Williamson and Co., Bhuvneshwar bagged three wickets in his ten-over spell and became the joint-highest wicket-taker in the match along with New Zealand’s Matt Henry. The speedster isn’t a part of India’s World Cup 2023 campaign, as he hasn’t played any ODI match since January 2022 due to his horrendous form. 

7. Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal supported Ravindra Jadeja to lead India’s spin-bowling unit against New Zealand in the World Cup 2019 semi-final. The spin wizard scalped the prized wicket of the Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson in the massive contest. Chahal was snubbed for India’s World Cup 2023 squad as selectors preferred Kuldeep Yadav over the 33-year-old India stalwart.

8. Henry Nicholls

Henry Nicholls played as an opener for New Zealand in the World Cup 2019. In the semi-final, he stood at the crease after Martin Guptill’s early departure. The left-handed batter went back to the pavilion after amassing 28 runs off 51 deliveries. Nicholls wasn’t picked up for the World Cup 2023 despite doing well in a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in September 2023.

9. Colin de Grandhomme

Colin de Grandhomme batted in the lower-middle-order against India in the semi-final. The right-handed batter played ten deliveries and scored 16 runs. In August 2022, he retired from international cricket, citing factors such as injuries and increasing competition in his team.