Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

Providence Stadium, Guyana will host match number 14 between New Zealand and Afghanistan. Considering the race for Super 8 qualification, this is an important game from the aspect of both the teams as mighty West Indies is also part of the same group.

The Black Caps will be all pumped up for their campaign to start as the schedule permits them to play their first game on the 7th day of the tournament According to reports, they have been training superbly in the last few days.

The Kiwis have always been a bunch of talented players, among whom everyone knows their role specifically. They often reach the semi-finals of big tournaments and they will be seeking a strong start.

In opposition, Afghanistan come into this game off a very comfortable win over Uganda. Unquestionably, they will challenge Aotearoa side with their excellent bowlers. With a 125-run victory in the last game, Rashid and Co. have boosted their NRR to 6.25. If Afghanistan manage to pull of a win here, it will be almost certain that they qualify for the next round in the tournament.

Match Details

• 14th Match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 between New Zealand & Afghanistan. 
• Time: June 7, 07:30 PM (Local) & June 8, 5:00 AM (IST).
• Venue: Providence Stadium, Guyana.

2024 T20 World Cup 14th Match: NZ vs AFG Possible Playing XIs

New Zealand: 1. Finn Allen, 2. Devon Conway (wk), 3. Kane Williamson (c), 4. Daryl Mitchell, 5. Rachin Ravindra, 6. Glenn Phillips, 7. James Neesham, 8. Mitchell Santner, 9. Tim Southee, 10. Ish Sodhi, 11. Trent Boult

Afghanistan: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2. Ibrahim Zadran, 3. Najibullah Zadran, 4. Azmatullah Omarzai, 5. Mohammad Nabi, 6. Gulbadin Naib, 7. Karim Janat, 8. Rashid Khan (c), 9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10. Naveen-ul-Haq, 11. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Fantasy Cricket Tips for the 14th match of the T20 World Cup: Top picks for NZ vs AFG

Top batter picks

• Devon Conway returns after missing the whole IPL season due to injury. The talented left hander will play an important role at the top order as he plays decently against spin. He scored 36 (32)* against AFG back in the 2021 T20 WC.
• Ferocious batter from Auckland, Finn Allen has an outstanding strike rate of 163.61 in T20Is. He hits a boundary in every 3.93 balls in T20I cricket and hence his presence at the crease could be a worry for opposition bowlers. While picking him in your fantasy team, mind that his strike rate and average boosts up to 174.5 while batting first.
• Captain Kane Williamson’s ability to time the ball with precision makes him special in any format of the game. And T20I is no different for the gentleman as he is always there playing according to the situation, finding the gaps between the fielders. Holding the strike he is always crucial in these 150-170 games and hence can help you providing some fantasy points as well.
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 76 (45) in the last game against Uganda and looked really comfortable at the crease. In T20s, Gurbaz has scored 37 runs off 22 deliveries against Boult while getting dismissed twice. If he doesn’t get out in the early overs, he can score the runs for his side.
• Najibullah Zadran was unlucky to get out early in the last game but has got excellent hitting ability against any bowling lineup. He played excellent knock of 73 (48) in the last game between these two sides. In T20Is, he has hit 23 runs off 9 deliveries against Mitchell Santner and once again it will a battle to watch out for between these two.  

Top All-rounder Picks

• When it comes to playing spin, Daryl Mitchell is one of those players who does it well. His power hitting down the ground and batting brilliance in the T20WC’21 is unforgettable. He averages 40 while batting in T20 World Cups.
• In T20s, Mitchell has hit 25 runs in 12 balls against Rashid without getting dismissed yet.
• Glenn Phillips did not get to feature in the XI in IPL, so he’ll be pumped up to perform for his national side. Besides his batting, the world is waiting for Glenn Phillips the fielder especially as well as the very handy offspinner in these conditions which can contribute fantasy points.
• Gulbadin Naib was originally listed to bat at number three in the game against Oman. Depending on conditions, he can be handy with the ball as well.

Bowlers

• Trent Boult is back in the New Zealand team for the World Cup. With the economy of 6.57, he has 25 wickets in just 14 T20 WC games. He bowled brilliantly (3/17) when these two sides faced off in 2021.
• Fazalhaq Farooqi had an exceptional day recently, finishing with 5/9 against Uganda. The left-arm pacer has a bowling average of 14.6 while bowling against the left-handed batters. An opportunity awaits as half of NZ’s batters are left-handed.
• Rashid Khan also bowled well (2/12) in the recent game. With the kind of pitches this WC is experiencing, Rashid becomes even more important.
• In T20s, Rashid has dismissed Allen and Ravindra once in nine and two balls respectively, and has been able to keep other Kiwi batters quiet.

Other Players to consider in your fantasy cricket teams…

• Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran also played a brilliant knock of 70 (46) in their game against Uganda.
• Mujeeb Ur Rahman can be a game changer for Afghanistan if the conditions support. He bowled brilliantly in the initial game and would like to continue the same temperament through the tournament. He has sent Daryl Mitchell back to the pavilion once in six balls in T20Is.
• New Zealand’s premiere all-rounder for World Cups – James Neesham – has a batting strike rate of 155 in T20 WCs and bowling strike rate of 15.3 in the same. He has always been a handy player to do any needful job for his team.

Providence Stadium Guyana Pitch Report and Weather

Traditionally, Providence is one of the most spin-friendly venues in West Indies. Also the seamers get benefits in the early overs which makes new batters uncomfortable out there. Especially, Leg-break bowlers have done tremendous job at the venue. 

Temperature to be in late 20s and there should not be the rain disturbing the game as per the forecast.

2024 T20 World Cup 14th Match: NZ vs AFG Dream11 Prediction Today

• Rashid Khan is a safe choice for the captaincy or vice captaincy in your fantasy team. He has bowling average of 12.41 while defending totals.
• Trent Boult can be backed to perform well here. He is the player who can always give 2-3 wickets in any conditions, so better you go with the safe option in a star-studded game.  
• And if you wish to opt for a risky choice in vice captaincy, any of the attacking batters, Finn Allen or Najibullah Zadran, can pay off in your fantasy team.

Option 1:

Option 2:

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The stats in this article are courtesy of the below sources:

• ESPNcricinfo records.
• Bigbashboard.com.