Last Updated on 12 months by Charbel Coorey

NZ vs AFG Dream11 Prediction Possible 11 Pitch Report: ODI World Cup 2023 Match 16 | NZ vs AFG Dream11 Prediction Today | Chennai Pitch Report

While New Zealand vs Afghanistan might look like a dull contest on paper, the game won’t be a one-sided affair by any means. Several factors will make this encounter fascinating, with some good quality cricket promised at spin-friendly Chennai.

New Zealand are flying high on the back of their unbeaten run in the tournament, with their latest victory coming against Bangladesh. Bowling first, the Kiwis restricted the Bangla Tigers to a mere 245, thanks to Lockie Ferguson’s three-fer and two wickets each for the other two pacers – Trent Boult and Daryl Mitchell. While batting, New Zealand were taken home by Kane Williamson (78) and Daryl Mitchell (89), with Devon Conway (45) also making useful contributions.

Afghanistan scripted history by defeating the World Champions, England, in Delhi a couple of days ago. Rahmanullah Gurbaz batted brilliantly for his 80, whereas Ikram Alikhil (58) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (28) took them to a fighting total. While bowling, Mujeeb Ur Rahman starred again with a three-wicket haul, whereas Rashid Khan also dismissed three batters to hand Afghanistan only their second, albeit massive, World Cup victory.

Match Details

• Date: October 18, 2023.
• Time: 2:00 pm (India), 9:30 pm (New Zealand), 1:00 pm (Afghanistan).
• Location: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

ODI World Cup 2023 Match 16: NZ vs AFG Possible Playing XIs

Kane Williamson suffered an injury to his thumb and will be out of action for a while again. Will Young will slot into the XI, with Rachin Ravindra moving to No. 3.

New Zealand: 1. Devon Conway, 2. Will Young, 3. Rachin Ravindra, 4. Daryl Mitchell, 5. Tom Latham (c & wk), 6. Glenn Phillips, 7. Mark Chapman, 8. Mitchell Santner, 9. Matt Henry, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Trent Boult.

Afghanistan are unlikely to tinker with the winning combination.

Afghanistan: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2. Ibrahim Zadran, 3. Rahmat Shah, 4. Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), 5. Azmatullah Omarzai, 6. Ikram Alikhil (wk), 7. Mohammad Nabi, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10. Naveen-ul-Haq, 11. Fazalhaq Farooqi.

NZ vs AFG Dream11 Prediction World Cup: Fantasy tips

New Zealand:

• Devon Conway will be crucial for New Zealand to counter the quality Afghani spinners at a venue where he has played so much. He has 229 runs at a strike rate of 104.09 in three innings this World Cup.
• Rachin Ravindra will contribute with both bat and ball in the game. He has 183 runs at an average of 91.50 and a strike rate of 114.38 in three innings this World Cup. Ravindra also has two wickets to his name.
• Daryl Mitchell played a fine knock of 89* in the previous game. Mitchell will be crucial for New Zealand at No. 4, as he handles spin well. He can also bowl a few handy overs.
• Mitchell Santner has been in terrific form this World Cup. He has eight wickets at 15.88 runs apiece in three games so far. He can be a wizard in Chennai if the conditions suit him.
• Matt Henry has been among New Zealand’s best bowlers in the World Cup 2023. He has been immaculate with his lines and length, troubling the batters consistently. Henry has eight wickets at 18.25 runs apiece, dismissing a batter every 21.38 balls this tournament.
• Trent Boult can wreak havoc against Afghanistan, especially with the new ball. There has been some swing on offer at every venue this World Cup, and Boult can get past the Afghanistan batting unit, which has blown hot and cold.

Afghanistan:

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been Afghanistan’s best batter for a while now. He has 148 runs, averaging 49.33 and striking at 100.68 this World Cup. Gurbaz was instrumental in Afghanistan’s historic victory over England in the previous game.
• Ibrahim Zadran hasn’t performed according to expectations in the tournament so far. He has 72 runs at a mere average of 24 in three innings. Zadran has to step up to cover the lacklustre batting performance of the middle order.
• Azmatullah Omarzai will contribute to all the departments. He has 103 runs at an average of 34.33 so far. Omarzai has also taken a solitary wicket.
• Rashid Khan has proved his worth time and again this World Cup. He has 5 wickets at 28.40 runs apiece. Rashid also has 48 runs, and his batting expertise is not hidden.
• Mujeeb Ur Rahman will again have to be on the money with the ball. He won the Man of the Match award for his brilliant spell of 3/51 in the last game. Mujeeb will again have to do the heavy lifting on a slow Chennai track.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head in ODIs: Played 2, New Zealand 2, Afghanistan 0.
• Daryl Mitchell in ODIs in 2023: 789 runs, 49.31 avg, 96.45 SR, 2 fifties & 3 centuries.
• Ibrahim Zadran has the most runs (550) for Afghanistan in ODIs this year. He averages 42.31 and strikes at 80.41 in 14 ODIs in 2023.
• Afghanistan are the only team to strike at less than 100 in the slog overs among the World Cup teams this year. They have a meagre strike rate of 98.02 in this phase.
• Mitchell Santner needs one more wicket to complete 100 ODI dismissals.

MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, Pitch Report and Weather

The pitches have been unpredictable throughout this World Cup. The average first innings score in Chennai has been 224, with the teams batting first, winning 17 of 36 games. Expect another decent batting track, with the spinners also having a say at some point in the match.

A temperature of around 32°C, with humid conditions, is forecast.

NZ vs AFG Dream11 Fantasy Picks:

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

NZ vs AFG Fantasy Ideal XI: Devon Conway, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Daryl Mitchell, Ibrahim Zadran, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Azmatullah Omarzai, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Option 1:

Option 2:

NZ vs AFG Match Prediction: Who will win?

It will be an intriguing game, with the Afghanistan spinners making life difficult for the Kiwi batters. However, New Zealand will go into the rubber as favourites and should win.