ODI World Cup 2023, Semi Final 1: India vs New Zealand Match Preview

India (IND) and New Zealand (NZ) meet yet again in the semi-final stage of the ODI World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue suffered a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of Kiwis in the last edition of the tournament but things have changed in the last four years. Most importantly, the Rohit Sharma-led side will be playing in Wankhede this time and not in Manchester, where rain can play a significant role on any day of the year.

If the 2019 World Cup was MS Dhoni’s last, the 2023 can very well be the last of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The pack, understandably, is more than desperate to win it for them and for more than a billion fans, who have been waiting for the last 12 years. However, despite nine wins on the trot, it is not going to be an easy affair for the Indian team.

Chasing has proved to be a relatively tough ask for any team at Wankhede in the ongoing ODI World Cup. Hence, the toss can play a major factor. Even though winter has started to settle in, the heat of Mumbai can take a toll on the body and hence, batting first will be ideal. The Rohit Sharma-led side has been exceptional with the bat and thus, can back themselves for the same yet again.

When it comes to the Kiwis, they have qualified for the finals of the competition in 2015 and 2019. It shows how consistent they have been in this format and just like Rohit and Kohli, this can be the end of Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and Tim Southee in ODI World Cups. The trio have been together since the U19 days and will aim to win this to gift themselves a fairytale farewell.

Overall, there are a lot of match-winners in both these two teams and hence, an all-time classic is expected on November 15. The winner will go on to play the finals in Ahmedabad while agony will follow the losing team for years to come.

Wankhede Stadium Pitch Report

The surface at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai usually favours the batters but batting under lights has been a difficult job in the tournament. Hence, the skipper winning the toss should elect to bat first and anything above 340 runs will be a good total on the board.

ODI World Cup 2023: IND vs NZ Probable Playing XI, Semi-Final 1

India (IND)

On the back of brilliant performances in the league stage, the Indian team will look to field an unchanged lineup. They have been incredible in all three fronts of the game and hence, will be confident of their chances to make it to the finals.

Predicted XI: 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 (NZ)

Tom Latham’s form has been a matter of concern in the tournament and thus, it won’t be a surprise if the Black Caps bring James Neesham in his place. Neesham can be really effective in Mumbai and that’s the only card they can play.

Predicted XI: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips (wk), Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

IND vs NZ ODIs Head-to-Head Records:

IND vs NZ Broadcast Details: