Former India cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra said that New Zealand are not among the favourites while going to the upcoming T20 World Cup and even Afghanistan could beat them as well. Notably, New Zealand are in the same group as India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and two qualifying teams who are yet to be decided in Group B of the T20 World Cup.

However, they recently announced their squad for the marquee event, which is all set to take place in the UAE and Oman. While reflecting on New Zealand’s squad for the tournament, Aakash Chopra stated that the Kane Williamson-led side could face trouble against Afghanistan as well.

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He said: “Overall, this team is alright. They are in India’s pool, where Pakistan and Afghanistan are also there. Even Afghanistan can give this team a competition and trouble them, honestly speaking. They are a good team. They punch above their weight and they have the ability to become a fist. They won the World Test Championship and lost the 2019 World Cup just because the match got tied.”

Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra has shared his views on New Zealand going all the way to the T20 World Cup. But, he again shared that the New Zealand squad seems to have covered all the bases but he again commentated that they might find it difficult in the spin-friendly conditions in the UAE.

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“I have a doubt this time that New Zealand will end up at the podium. Of course, they do surprise everyone but these are the UAE conditions. I see Pakistan and India’s chances extremely bright in this group. I think they might just struggle, even though like Australia, this team also looks fairly balanced and power-packed. They have the match-winners but will they win? We will do a slightly more deep-dive analysis before the World Cup,” Aakash Chopra concluded.