ODI World Cup 2023: India looks to end New Zealand curse, searching for first victory in 20 years
The Indians have the best opportunity to end the winless run against New Zealand which has been on for 20 years in ICC tournaments. Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be missing the match due to injury.
FollowThe Indian cricket team and New Zealand are the only two teams still unbeaten in the ODI World Cup 2023. After the clash between India and New Zealand on Sunday, only one team will remain unbeaten. The men in blue have had a struggling record against New Zealand when it comes to ICC tournaments.
They have been winless against the Kiwis for about 20 years in ICC tournaments as India's last victory against them came in 2003. Not only this, the Kiwis are known to provide the death blow to the Indian cricket team in ICC tournaments. India and New Zealand last faced in the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final.
The Kane Williamson-led team broke the hearts of many Indians as they initiated a top-order collapse which caused the victory of New Zealand and the knocking out of India from the tournament. The story is set to take a turn on a new chapter on Sunday as the joint table toppers will vouch for their unbeaten run.
Kane Williamson has a very good record against India especially in the ICC tournaments. The Kiwis will greatly miss the top-order batsman in a tournament-defining match on Sunday. On the Indian side, Hardik Pandya will miss the fixture due to an ankle injury that he suffered against Bangladesh.
India does have a selection dilemma for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 match as there is no direct replacement for Hardik Pandya available on the bench. Shardul Thakur is already regularly featuring in the playing 11. In such a case, Surya Kumar Yadav could get the nod.
It will be tough for the opening batters to get their run going on the Dharamsala surface. Jasprit Bumrah will pose a threat to the Kiwis pair while Trent Boult has a proven record of destroying the Indian top order with his swing.
Predicted XI
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan/Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.
