Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand 2023: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka – 3rd T20I Preview and Updates

Cricket

Following a loss in the first T20I, New Zealand made a roaring comeback in the second game, defeating Sri Lanka by 9 wickets. The series is now tied at 1-1, with the decider on April 8 at John Davies Oval in Queenstown. After this performance, the Kiwis will be brimming with confidence and will start as favorites in this game.

The 3rd T20I between New Zealand vs Sri Lanka will take place on April 8th, 2023 at John Davies Oval, Queenstown.

Match Details to Note

Match: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I, Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand, 2023

Date: April 08, 2023 (Saturday)

Time: 6:30 AM IST

Venue: John Davies Oval, Queenstown

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka

New Zealand (Match Odds – 1.42):

Preview:

Despite taking the first T20I to the Super Over thanks to a late over blitz by Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand’s performance was below par. However, in the second match, they corrected their errors and checked all the boxes. After putting Sri Lanka in, they bowled them out for 141, a below-par total on a fantastic Dunedin surface. The visitors were unable to cope with Adam Milne’s fiery career-best spell of 5-26, while opener Tim Seifert blasted his way to a scintillating knock of 79* off 43 balls.

New Zealand bats deep, and with Seifert in such good form, their batting appears to be even more dangerous. The bedrocks of the middle order are Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell, and we expect one of them to play a critical role in the decider.

The bowling of New Zealand was put to the test in the first T20I, but they fared much better in Dunedin. Of course, Milne was the standout performer, but Ben Lister (2-26 off 4 overs) bowled an excellent spell as well. Ish Sodhi hasn’t taken any wickets this series, but he’s been economical, and his middle-overs spell could be game-changing.

Full Squad:

Tom Latham (c & wk), Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Will Young

Possible Playing XI:

Chad Bowes, Tim Seifert, Tom Latham (c & wk), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Adam Milne, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Ben Lister

Sri Lanka (Match Odds – 2.85):

Preview:

Sri Lanka were 122-4 in the 16th over of the second T20I, looking poised to post a total of more than 160. However, they lost their next six wickets for only 19 runs, a collapse that cost them the match and may well cost them the series.

Kusal Perera has been the most consistent batter for Sri Lanka in this series, scoring 53* (45 balls) and 35 (32 balls). In the final T20I, his job would be to keep the innings together while the others can be more aggressive.

Charith Asalanka, whose 67 off 41 balls gave Sri Lanka an impressive total of 196-5 in the first game, will be the batter to watch. Dasun Shanaka, the captain, has failed in both matches, but he’s too good a batter to go on a losing streak. He was on fire against India earlier this year, hitting nearly 190 in the T20I series. A special knock from him in the final T20I is not out of the question.

Wanindu Hasaranga, the star leg-spinner, will be the man to watch in the bowling department. He can turn the game in one over as a wicket-taker. Maheesh Theekshana, off-spinner, has been outstanding in the Powerplay overs, keeping things tight with his line and lengths. Unfortunately, the other bowlers have not been consistent and are frequently leaking runs.

Full Squad:

Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya De Silva, Charith Asalanka, Kusal Janith Perera, Lasith Croospulle, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Nuwanidu Fernando, Wanindu Hasaranga (vc), Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Chamika Karunaratne, Matheesha Pathirana, and Pramod Madushan

Possible Playing XI:

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Head to Head

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Head to Head Stats in T20s

	Matches Played	NZ Won	SL Won	Tie	NR
Overall	22	12	8	1	1
Last 5	5	4	1	1	0

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Toss Prediction

The team that wins the toss is expected to field first, as is customary in T20 matches these days.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Pitch Report

The John Davies Oval will host its first international T20 match. The average score batting first at the venue in the Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, is 147. Teams batting second have won 5 of the 7 Super Smash games played here. In this T20I, the team batting first should aim to set a target of around 165-175 runs.

The pitch at Queenstown’s John Davies Oval has a slight green tint to it, which will help fast bowlers. Batters must be especially cautious during the first few overs when the ball is likely to move around a lot. Batting will become easier once the pitch settles down a little, and runs will be plentiful. The weather in Queenstown is expected to be cloudy and breezy on the day of the match.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Prediction

Despite showing some fight on occasion, Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand has not gone as well as they would have liked. They lost the Tests and ODIs, but they have a chance to end their tour on a high note by winning the T20I series. The Asia Cup winners have it in them, especially if their batting fires. However, with the exception of their two lead spinners, their bowling is a weak link that could cost them again. After the second game, New Zealand will be flying high. Their batting depth is incredible, which will come in handy on this pitch. Their fast bowlers are likely to trouble the Lankan batters, and Milne and Ben Lister’s opening spells on this pitch could swing the game in the home team’s favor. Check out the odds at Cricbaba!

New Zealand is the favourite to beat Sri Lanka at the odds of 1.42.