The New Zealand and West Indies are ready to lock horns at Tarouba on 13th June! The match will hold so much importance in terms of tournament context as it will define the future of the Black Caps in the mega event.
Team overview:
New Zealand has been a consistent side in the World Cups since 2015. Nevertheless, in the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup they are facing a do-or-die situation after just one game. Their chances to qualify are in jeopardy after they faced a horrible defeat against Rashid Khan’s men. They made it into the semi final of the tournament in 2015,2019, and 2023 ODI World Cup. Similarly, they played the semi final of the 2016,2021,and 2022 T20 World Cups.
Now, they will be facing West Indies, a dangerous side at Tarouba. They will have to play out of their skin to beat the West Indies and keep their hopes alive in the tournament. Against Afghanistan, they showed below-bar performance in all three departments of the game. Their batting looked rusty, fielding was awful, and bowling was inconsistent, showing a performance that was least unexpected from the Kiwis side.
Nevertheless, the skipper Kane Williamson will have to step-up. He hasn’t played many T20s in the recent past and his adaptation to these pitches will be the key for New Zealand in their upcoming crucial encounter.
After showing below-par performances in the last two editions of the World Cup, West Indies have made a thumping comeback in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Although they had a shaky win against Papua New Guinea, they registered a dominating victory against Uganda, hence winning two games in a row.
A win against New Zealand can make them the first side to advance to the Super Eights from Group C.
West Indies’ skipper Rovman Powell believes that this is an ideal chance to beat New Zealand as the side is in the form. Raston Chase will be the key player as his anchor role and off-spin bowling can help the Maroon shirts to emerge victorious against the Black Caps.
Pitch and weather conditions:
This encounter will be the first match of the T20 World Cup at this venue. Since 2021 the average first-innings total is 167. So, potentially a low scoring game is expected as frequent rain has changed the dynamics a bit. And rain is also expected to disturb the game.
Head-to-head records:
Both of the sides have played 19 matches and the Black Caps have won 11 while West Indies cleared the winning line in 6 encounters.
Predictions:
Although New Zealand has been a great T20 side, the current form suggests that West Indies may beat the Kiwis to make their way to the Super Eights of the tournament.
Where to watch:
Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming), Tamasha app (Live streaming), Tapmad (live streaming)
India – Star Sports
England – SkySport Network
USA and Canada (Willow TV)
Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
UK & Northern Ireland – Sky Sports
Sri Lanka – Maharaja TV
Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
