NZ vs SL ICC WC 2023 Prediction
After dropping their last four games, New Zealand’s chances of making the semi-finals currently seem bleak. With eight points, they remain fourth in the standings, although their NRR has decreased to 0.398 following their loss to Pakistan in their most recent game. If New Zealand wins their next game in Bangalore against Sri Lanka, they still have a chance to advance.
Then, they will need to pray that their opponents, Afghanistan and Pakistan, who both have eight points, don’t defeat them by a significant enough margin in their last league games to pass them on NRR. But the prospect of rain remains, and it’s possible that New Zealand’s final match may be rained out. In that case, they would only have nine points and would need to hope that Pakistan and Afghanistan lose their next games in order to remain on eight.
TEAMS PREVIEW
New Zealand Preview
The only people responsible for New Zealand’s current predicament are themselves. They appeared to be headed for a semi-final spot after winning their first four games. But their intentions have been derailed by their recent four-match losing streak. Unfortunately, even after putting 401 on the board, they lost their match to Pakistan via the DLS technique.
Their recent bowling performances have been detrimental to them. They haven’t benefited from injuries to important bowlers like Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson, but they will be looking to perform much better against Sri Lanka. Should Ferguson continue to be unfit, the Kiwis may give Kyle Jamieson a try. Being a tall fast bowler, the Lankan hitters could find his pace and bounce troublesome.
Trent Boult will have the responsibility of taking some early wickets. In the match against Pakistan, Boult amassed 50 runs in his six overs without claiming a wicket. But we anticipate him to make an impression here because he is an excessively skilled bowler. Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee, who bowled effectively in the previous game on this surface, could also bowl well here.
Kane Williamson’s return is one thing that New Zealand can take away from their most recent game. The captain immediately made an impression with a sophisticated 95 off just 79 balls.
The bowlers from Sri Lanka will also have to be wary of Rachin Ravindra, who is doing really well right now. At a strike rate of 107 and an average of 74.71, the gifted young player has already scored 523 runs in just 8 innings, placing him among the tournament’s leading scorers.
In the past few games, Glenn Phillips has begun to establish a rhythm and is making clutch shots. The hard-hitting batter may be sent up the order by the Kiwis if the game is reduced in order to score several runs quickly.
New Zealand Predicted XI:
Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi/Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, and Tom Latham (wk)
Sri Lanka Preview
Sri Lanka is no longer competing in the semi-final. They still have something to aim for, though. They will join host Pakistan in the eight-team ICC Champions Trophy 2025 if they place among the top seven in the current World Cup standings. The Lankans are now ranked eighth, but a victory today might move them up to the top seven.
But things are hard in Sri Lanka. They were bowled out for 55 runs in their humbling 302 run defeat to India, and they lost their subsequent game against Bangladesh as well. Thanks to an outstanding 108 from Charith Asalanka, Sri Lanka was able to muster 279 on a fantastic batting pitch in Delhi. But in the end, Bangladesh easily accomplished the goal.
The group is counting on captain Kusal Mendis to do well. He had a fantastic start to the competition, but his form has recently declined. It’s time for the gifted batter to grab the lead.
At a 62 average, Sadeera Samarawickrama has scored 372 runs in 8 innings, becoming her the team’s top scorer thus far in the World Cup. This pitch should work nicely for him.
Their bowlers, Sri Lankans, have consistently failed them. Their standout player thus far has been Dilshan Madushanka. The fast bowler, who has taken 21 wickets at an average of 22.23, is now the top wicket-taker of the 2023 World Cup.
Sadly, all of the other bowlers continue to give up runs and don’t have a strong supporting cast. The likes of Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, and Kasun Rajitha will really need to bowl tight lines on this batting beauty of a surface, or they will probably be hauled all over the park.
Sri Lankan Predicted XI:
Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews
PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS
Weather Conditions
Bengaluru’s M.Chinnaswamy Stadium boasts a pitch that is a hitter’s paradise. Seam bowlers have very little lateral movement, and spinners receive no assistance from the pitch. Batters can nearly immediately begin to strike through the line. In order to stop the runs from flowing, seamers will need to bowl a lot of off-cutters and slower deliveries.
Rain is predicted to cause delays during the play in the afternoon, since it has been pouring in Bengaluru for the past several days. Throughout the day, the sky will generally remain overcast, with a few showers and thunderstorms possible in the afternoon and evening.
Venue Details
At the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, the average score when batting first is 265 runs. In the most recent game played here, New Zealand defeated Pakistan by a resounding 401-6 when they batted first. Australia had also destroyed 367 against Pakistan at this location earlier in the tournament. Thus, it is safe to say that this is a high-scoring location and that more fours and sixes are in store. The team batting first should aim for a total of about 350 if they are given the entire 50 overs.
Toss: To Bowl
It is anticipated that rain will cause disruptions to the afternoon’s events during this match. In the event that the game is shortened due to rain, the team that wins the toss will attempt to bowl first because they will have a greater chance of hitting a smaller target.
Winning Prediction
New Zealand will Win this Match
In their 11 encounters at the CC ODI World Cup, New Zealand has lost five while Sri Lanka has won six of them. Even though they have dropped their last four games, New Zealand is still a far superior team overall than Sri Lanka. Their batting lineup is reliable and in terrific condition. Their bowlers have performed poorly in the past two games.
We anticipate a far more disciplined performance from the Kiwis if we get to see the entire encounter. Furthermore, Sri Lanka hasn’t won any of their last seven One-Day International matches against New Zealand, demonstrating their strength as an opponent. We think New Zealand will give it their best in this game and capture a crucial victory because they are poised to qualify for the semi-finals. If the weather gives up them once more is the key question that needs to be answered.
