New Zealand vs Afghanistan 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Match 14

It's the battle of dark horses as New Zealand takes on high-flying Afghanistan at the Providence Stadium, Guyana on June 8 at 5:00 AM IST. New Zealand will aim for a victory this weekend to kick off their T20 World Cup 2024 journey on a winning note. Afghanistan started their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in style by defeating Uganda with a massive margin of 125 runs. Afghanistan posted a solid total of 183 runs in the game, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz hitting 76 runs off 45 balls. The Afghan bowlers performed well, restricting Uganda to just 58 runs.

It's the battle of dark horses as New Zealand takes on Afghanistan

New Zealand could have arranged warm-up matches but chose not to, as their entire squad came together only on Sunday with the arrival of Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson. Like Australia, New Zealand allowed players involved in the late stages of the IPL some family time at home, resulting in long journeys across the globe. As a result, some players may have yet to play a match since the end of the home season in March. Like many other teams, there is also a sense of unease about the weather and how rain-affected games could affect the qualification process. 

Additionally, shortened games could introduce the complexity of the DLS method. New Zealand faces a daunting challenge, starting their 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaign with two significant matches against Afghanistan and West Indies, making their group potentially the toughest. With New Zealand also facing Afghanistan under lights, the dew factor was evident in the Afghanistan vs Uganda match on Monday evening, with bowlers regularly using a towel to dry the ball.

NZ vs AFG Match 14: Providence Stadium, Guyana Weather and Pitch Report

We can yet again expect a slowish surface, with the highest total posted at the venue in international cricket in the last 13 years being 183 for 5. Afghanistan posted a massive total in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 group game against Uganda. The West Indies played two T20Is at Providence Stadium last year. Their 1st group game against PNG was also played in the same venue. Scores were under 160 across six innings in the three matches, which suggests the pitches here offer a balanced track for the players. 

Georgetown is expected to have overcast conditions with periods of rain on Saturday. The temperature is forecasted to range from 31 degrees Celsius during the day to 24 degrees Celsius at night. The humidity level is expected to be around 86 %, and the wind speed is predicted to be around 28 km/hr. There is approximately a 79 % chance of rain on Saturday. With dew coming into the picture, both New Zealand and Afghanistan will look to put 170+ runs on the board to be on the safer side.

Predicted New Zealand Playing XI

New Zealand's batting lineup will rely on their captain Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Phillips to make crucial contributions throughout their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. On the bowling front, the experience of Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, and Ish Sodhi could be crucial for the Blackcaps on pitches offering assistance.

NZ Playing XI

Devon Conway (WK), Finn Allen, Kane Williamson (C), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee

Kane Williamson (C), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (WK), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.

Predicted Afghanistan Playing XI

In their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 opener, Afghanistan's openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran dominated the Uganda bowlers, playing a crucial role in helping their team post an impressive total of 183 runs. While defending the total, Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed the first five-wicket haul of the tournament, dismantling the Uganda batting lineup and restricting them to just 58 runs. The Afghans led by Rashid Khan will likely go with the same team.

AFG Playing XI

Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (C), Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Rashid Khan (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), 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, Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi.