New Zealand and Afghanistan's last match of the Super 12 stage in the World T20 Cup will be played today at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. If New Zealand fails to win this match, India will advance to the semi finals. Therefore, team India will be eyeing the match and if New Zealand wins the match, Team India will be out of the semi-finals and New Zealand will reach the semi-finals.
New Zealand
New Zealand are all set to secure a place in the semi-finals after registering a win in today's match. Though New Zealand is a better team in this match, they should not take Afghanistan lightly. New Zealand has an excellent opening pair, and with players like Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips to bat in the middle order, New Zealand are quite orderly. Overall, New Zealand will certainly go as favorites in this match, but they have to keep an eye on the Afghans' plans. If the Kiwis are able to handle the spinners well in the upcoming match, they should not face troubles winning the match.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan have done well in the tournament so far. However, they suffered a big defeat in the last match against India. Spin is their strength, they can actually prove to be a threat to the Kiwis. Afghanistan started their campaign brilliantly but the team suffered due to injuries. With Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad and Rahmanullah Gurbaz in batting, they have a fine top order that can break any bowling lineup. At the same time, batsmen like Gulbadin Naib and Mohammad Nabi are available to bat in the lower order, being an all-rounder, they also have depth in their batting skills.
Weather Report
The minimum and maximum temperatures at Abu Dhabi will be 25 and 31 degrees, respectively. The humidity will be around 36 percent with no chances of precipitation.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Abu Dhabi stadium is good when it comes to batting. The average score in the first innings on this pitch has been 150-160 runs. However there is a lot of opportunities for bowlers as well. Because the match is in the day, the due factor will not affect and bowlers can do wonders.
Probable Playing XI For New Zealand
Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult
Probable Playing XI For Afghanistan
Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Nabi (c), Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Hamid Hassan
Key Players
New Zealand:
Martin Guptill
Kane Williamson
Afghanistan:
Hazratullah Zazai
Mohammad Nabi
