Afghanistan emerged victorious in the toss and chose to bat first against New Zealand during their T20 World Cup clash on Sunday. This matchup is part of the highly competitive Group D, which also features South Africa, the finalists from the previous tournament, along with two associate nations, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. Only two teams will qualify for the Super 8 stage from this challenging group, often referred to as the ‘group of death’.
This match marks the first encounter between the two sides since Afghanistan’s remarkable 84-run victory over the Black Caps at the 2024 T20 World Cup in Guyana. Afghanistan enters the contest with a fully fit squad, while New Zealand has faced several injuries and illnesses among its players during their stay in India over the past month.
Leading Afghanistan is their experienced captain and ace spinner Rashid Khan, who is on the brink of a milestone, needing just four more wickets to become the first bowler in T20 history to achieve 700 wickets. At the toss, Rashid expressed confidence in his team’s ability, stating, “We have a good bowling lineup and I hope it’ll help spin later on. We’ve played a lot of ICC events, and it’s just about playing smart cricket and using experience.”
On the other side, New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner placed his hopes on the grass covering of the wicket, anticipating that it would provide support for his trio of seamers—Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Jacob Duffy—during the day match.
The T20 World Cup, which is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, commenced on Saturday with notable victories from Pakistan, India, and the West Indies, setting the tone for an exciting tournament ahead.
The line-ups for both teams are as follows:
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (captain), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ziaur Rahman, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (captain), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
As both teams gear up for this crucial match, fans can expect an intense and entertaining battle on the field, showcasing the best of T20 cricket.