ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2022: New Zealand vs Afghanistan – Match 21 Preview and Updates

Cricket

Zealand vs Afghanistan – New Zealand finally ended their losing streak in Australia. The Blackcaps won their first Twenty20 International in Australia in 15 years. And the Kiwis did it in style, dominating every aspect of the game.

A strong start like this has put New Zealand in a strong position to gain momentum and potentially move into the top two. Afghanistan was always the underdogs in a T20I match against England in Australia.

The conditions in Australia are ideal for the style of cricket that England batters play. However, Afghanistan’s bowling effort, which saw England lose 5 wickets while chasing only 113 runs, demonstrates great promise.

In this match, the batters will face an even greater challenge. Early in the innings, the MCG provides excellent movement for bowlers. As a result, Afghanistan is likely to face a difficult challenge from New Zealand’s pace battery.

Afghanistan will face another batting collapse unless Zazai and Gurbaz form a top-order partnership and bat through the early overs.

The Super 12 Group 1, 21st Match between New Zealand vs Afghanistan take place on October 26th, 2022 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.

Match Details to Note

Match: New Zealand vs Afghanistan, 21st Match, Super 12 Group 1, ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2022

Date: October 26, 2022 (Wednesday)

Time: 1:30 PM IST

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

New Zealand vs Afghanistan

New Zealand (Match Odds – 1.20):

Preview:

Kane Williamson will be pleased with his team’s first T20I victory on Australian soil. While his batting in the middle order remains a concern, those around him have been impressive.

Williamson was a standout for SRH a few seasons ago before being named captain. He was a finisher in the middle order and was very good at it.

He hasn’t been able to replicate that for the Blackcaps, instead serving as an anchor. Fortunately for New Zealand, other players with high strike rates can help the team reach a competitive total.

Fin Allen can get the team off to a fast start, and Conway knows when and how to accelerate. Glenn Phillips and James Neesham can also hit the long ball, and the latter has often won games.

Mark Chapman is also on the NZ roster. Though little known, the batting all-rounder has a strong ability to strike the ball and adds depth to New Zealand’s lineup.

When it comes to batting, New Zealand has an infinite number of options. Williamson will never run out of bowling options, thanks to the variety in the all-rounders department.

The key bowlers in this game will be Boult and Southee. Southee will benefit from the favorable conditions at this venue, and he is likely to have early success in the powerplay.

Full Squad:

Finn Allen, Devon Conway(w), Kane Williamson(c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Daryl Mitchell, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Michael Bracewell

Players to watch out for:

Devon Conway

The keeper-batter hit seven fours and two sixes against Australia and now has an impressive average of 57.38 from 26 innings.

Mitchell Santner

In recent years, the spinner has evolved into a useful lower order batter. In Australia’s first game of the T20 World Cup 2022, he dismissed Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis, and Tim David.

Trent Boult

For many years, the left-arm fast bowler has led New Zealand’s bowling attack. In T20Is, his best figures are 4-34.

Possible Playing XI:

Devon Conway (wk), Finn Allen, Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

Afghanistan (Match Odds – 4.55):

Preview:

Mohammad Nabi will be hoping that his team can turn things around and find a rhythm in an important game against New Zealand. The batting was quite good in the warm-up games, and while the opposition was tough in their last outing, Afghanistan should perform better this time.

Afghanistan will be up for their biggest challenge in this World Cup as they travel to Melbourne to face one of the best bowling teams in the world.

Both teams struggled in the early overs of the previous game at this venue, losing many wickets to the quick bowlers. The amount of movement NZ quick bowlers can get here would be difficult for Afghanistan openers to deal with.

Afghanistan is currently concerned about Hazratullah Zazai’s health. He scored 305 runs in 14 innings with a strike rate of 117.31 in 2022. He was out for 7 off 17 balls in the previous match against England, and if he does not recover quickly, Afghanistan will be in big trouble.

The key batters to watch in this batting lineup will be Ibrahim Zadran and Usman Ghani. In the middle order, the two will play critical roles for Afghanistan.

With Najibullah and Mohammad Nabi at 5 and 6, there is plenty of talent and experience. Afghanistan used three spinners in their last game. Naveen-ul-Haq can step in for Mujeeb Ur Rahman and strengthen the pace bowling attack.

Full Squad:

Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Qais Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Saleem Safi

Players to watch out for:

Ibrahim Zadran

The 20-year-old top order batter has a 14-inning average of 30.27 in this format. However, in his last five games, he has averaged 71 points.

Mohammad Nabi

The all-rounder captains the team and is a consistent performer with both the bat and the ball. On Saturday, he bowled Ben Stokes but made only three runs with the ball.

Rashid Khan

In T20Is, the leg-spinner strikes every 13.7 balls. In this format, his best figures are 5-3.

Possible Playing XI:

Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Top Team Batsmen

For New Zealand, we like Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, and Finn Allen at the plate. Allen scored 42 runs off 16 balls against Australia.

With the bat, we recommend Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Hazratullah Zazai for Afghanistan. Zazai has scored more than 50 runs in T20Is four times.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Top Team Bowlers

Trent Boult, Locke Ferguson, and Tim Southee are our picks as New Zealand’s key bowlers. On Saturday evening, Southee took an incredible 3-6 from only 2.1 overs against Australia.

Afghanistan’s goalkeepers are Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi. At Perth Stadium, Farooqi took a big wicket of Jos Buttler.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Head to Head

In November, New Zealand and Afghanistan met for the first and only time in this format at the 2021 T20 World Cup. New Zealand won the clash by eight wickets in Abu Dhabi.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Head to Head Stats in T20s

	Matches Played	NZ Won	AFG Won	Tie	NR
Overall	1	1	0	0	0
Last 5	1	1	0	0	0

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Toss Prediction

Given their overall strength, the New Zealand squad would be at ease in any situation, whether they batted or bowled first. However, for Afghanistan to win, it is critical to bowl first. Ten of the 15 T20Is played at the MCG have been won by teams batting second.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Pitch Report

This Super 12 Group 1 contest will be held at the MCG. The most recent game played here was one of the best T20I matches in World Cup history. The boundaries at this venue are quite long, so batters will need to focus on running twos and threes whenever possible. Sixes will be difficult to come by, especially in the square of the wicket where the boundaries are the longest.

The pitch assists new-ball bowlers and improves for batting later on. There may be movement both on and off the pitch. On match day, showers are expected with a high of 20 degrees Celsius.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Prediction

Going into this match, New Zealand has a clear advantage. They outperform Afghanistan in every category, particularly batting. Afghanistan’s key opener is out of form, which will hurt them in Melbourne. The bowlers can keep Afghanistan in the game, but we don’t think it’s enough to win a T20I at the MCG. In our match prediction, New Zealand will start as heavy favorites. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

New Zealand is the favourite to beat Afghanistan at the odds of 1.20.