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New Zealand are gearing up to face Afghanistan in Match 14 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to take place at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Friday. While Afghanistan currently leads Group C after a convincing victory over Uganda in their opening match, New Zealand are set to kick off their campaign in the tournament.
Afghanistan’s dominant start in the T20 World Cup 2024
Afghanistan made a strong start to their T20 World Cup journey in this edition, defeating Uganda in a one-sided contest. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran laid the foundation with a remarkable opening partnership, amassing 154 runs for the first wicket. Their performance propelled Afghanistan to a massive total of 183/5. In reply, Uganda faltered, bowled out for just 58 runs, with Fazalhaq Farooqi emerging as the standout bowler, picking five wickets while conceding only nine runs in four overs.
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New Zealand’s challenge under Kane Williamson’s leadership
Led by the astute leadership of Kane Williamson, New Zealand will embark on their campaign against Afghanistan. Their last international series was against Pakistan, where they ended with a drawn series at 2-2. The last encounter between New Zealand and Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup was in 2021, where New Zealand emerged victorious by eight wickets. Bolstered by Trent Boult‘s exceptional bowling performance, New Zealand registered a convincing win over Afghanistan in their previous T20 World Cup encounter.
NZ vs AFG: Probable Playing XI:
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway (wk), Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Glenn Phillips
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Karim Janat, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Guyana Weather Forecast
In Guyana, the weather forecast suggests a 31% chance of precipitation. Cloudy skies are anticipated, with temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels are expected to reach up to 88%, while wind speeds may reach up to 10 km/h.
