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Group C is seen as the toughest group this year, and New Zealand’s schedule is particularly challenging, with opening matches against Afghanistan and the West Indies.
Adding to their difficulties, the Black Caps' preparation for the tournament was hampered by rain, which limited them to just two full training sessions. These sessions included in-game scenarios due to the absence of warm-up matches.
Coach Gary Stead's team opted against scheduling warm-up games, as their full squad only came together on Sunday with the arrival of key players Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson.
New Zealand's last T20 match was a narrow nine-run loss to Pakistan in April, ending a five-match series tied at 2-2 after the first game was abandoned due to weather. Despite these setbacks, New Zealand is known for performing well in major tournaments, having reached the semi-finals in the last T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup last year.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, enters the T20 World Cup as a potential dark horse, following an impressive performance in the ODI World Cup in India, where they finished ahead of former champions England and Sri Lanka. Since their debut in 2010, Afghanistan has reached the Super Eight stage in the last three editions, showing steady improvement after early exits in their first three attempts.
With Jonathan Trott as head coach and Dwayne Bravo as bowling coach, Afghanistan started this year's tournament with a bang, defeating newcomers Uganda by 125 runs.
Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran formed a remarkable 154-run partnership, the second-highest in men’s T20 World Cup history. Fazalhaq Farooqi was the standout bowler, taking five wickets for just nine runs, leading to Uganda posting the fourth-lowest total in T20 World Cup history.
While Afghanistan is riding high on confidence, there is some skepticism as their recent form has been against non-Test-playing nations. Their real test begins with this match against New Zealand, following their last significant challenge, a 2-1 series loss to Sri Lanka in February.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Finn Allen is being touted as a key player to watch in this year's tournament. His explosive batting in the powerplay is impressive, boasting a strike rate of 149 in the current World Cup cycle—the highest in T20 history.The Black Caps will rely on the seasoned leadership of skipper Kane Williamson, along with Tim Southee and Trent Boult. Unfortunately, Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne will miss out due to injuries.
Afghanistan, buoyed by their strong first-match performance, will likely stick with the same lineup. They will depend on the dynamic opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran to set a solid foundation again.
Bowler Rashid Khan, who took 2/12, and Naveen-ul-Haq, who picked up 2/4 in two overs against Uganda, will be crucial in supporting the opening bowlers, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, to contain New Zealand's formidable top order.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim SoutheeAfghanistan squad: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik
EXPERT PREDICTION
Afghanistan to win
This match will provide a better sense of what to expect from the Black Caps in the competition. However, it seems they might face an unexpected defeat in this one.
