New Zealand and Afghanistan lock horns in match 16 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Wednesday, 18th October 2023. The match will be played at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai and the scheduled start time is 2:00 pm local time. Get ready for NZ vs AFG with the hottest betting odds, best bonuses, most valued bets, pitch report, playing lineups, and fantasy picks.
Who will win the match?
New Zealand and Afghanistan clashed twice in ODI World Cups and on both occasions, New Zealand emerged victorious. The Blackcaps are unbeaten in the competition winning all three matches and are sitting in second position on the points table with six points. The form of their players makes them the favourites to win the match.
Afghanistan is inexperienced but on their day they can do wonders and outplay world-class teams. The conditions at Chennai are perfect for the Afghanistan spinners to cause another huge upset against the dominant Kiwis. Our final prediction is New Zealand to win the match by a close margin.
- New Zealand’s chance of winning: 65%
- Afghanistan’s chance of winning: 35%
New Zealand vs Afghanistan Odds comparison
NZ vs AFG Most Valuable Bets?
- Rachin Ravindra to score over 32.5 runs @ 1.87 (Parimatch)
- Devon Conway to be the highest scorer in NZL @3.3 (Bluechip)
- Lockie Ferguson to be the best NZL bowler @ 4 (Cricbaba)
Pitch and Weather Conditions
The pitch at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is traditionally spinner-friendly, it is dry, slow track that favours spinners leading to low-scoring matches. As the game progresses it gets better to bat on under lights. In the last two matches played at this venue the team batting second won both the matches and the average 1st innings score was 222 runs.
The weather in Chennai on 18th October, Wednesday is around 30 degrees Celsius and will be mostly cloudy with no chance of rain.
Match Info
- Tournament: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
- Match: New Zealand vs Afghanistan, Match 16
- Venue: M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- Date & Time: 18th October, 2023 @ 2:00 pm IST
NZ vs AFG Toss Prediction
In the 25 ODI matches played at this venue, the team batting first won 14 matches, while the team batting second won 10 matches. As it is a used pitch it gets tougher for the team batting second and we predict the team winning the toss will opt to bat first.
New Zealand Preview and Playing XI
New Zealand have been dominant and clinical against England, Netherlands and Bangladesh. Consistent performances in both the batting and bowling departments has helped New Zealand win back-to-back matches. Devon Conway, and Rachin Ravindra are the breakout stars with the bat, while Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson have been exceptional with the bowl supporting their primary fast bowling duo of Matt Henry and Trent Boult.
Kane Williamson suffered a thumb injury on his comeback against Bangladesh and will miss the game against Afghanistan. Will Young replace Williamson in the playing XI?
New Zealand Playing XI: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Afghanistan Preview and Playing XI
An upset for ages, Afghanistan did the unthinkable by defeating the defending champions England. The performances of their top-order batsman have helped them in setting up challenging totals that can be defended. The spin trio of Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Rashid Khan’s form is a major boost for Afghanistan. The track at Chennai favours spinners which further boosts Afghanistan’s chance of winning the match.
Afghanistan Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
NZ vs AFG Top Fantasy Picks
New Zealand
| Player Name | Last game stats |
|---|---|
| Devon Conway | 45 runs |
| Daryl Mitchell | 89 runs |
| Lockie Ferguson | 2 wickets |
| Matt Henry | 3 wickets |
Afghanistan
| Player Name | Last game stats |
|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | 80 runs |
| Mohammad Nabi | 9 runs & 2 wickets |
| Mujeeb ur Rahman | 28 runs and 3 wickets |
| Rashid Khan | 28 runs and 3 wickets |
NZ vs AFG Dream11 Team
- Wicket Keeper: Devon Conway (Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Tom Latham, Ikram Ali Khil
- Batsman: Hasmatullah Shahidi
- All-rounders: Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Mohammad Nabi, Rachin Ravindra
- Bowlers: Matt Henry, Rashid Khan (Vice Captain)
