India and New Zealand are set to face off in the first semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15, Wednesday. This is in many ways a rematch of the 2019 World Cup semi-final when the Kiwis beat the Men in Blue to knock them out of the competition. India are on a nine-match winning run in the tournament so far, but they have failed to cross the semi-final hurdle in the last two editions of the competition.
India lost to Australia in 2015 and New Zealand in 2019. They have a big chance at home now to end the trend and qualify for the final. New Zealand, on the other hand, have been inconsistent with their form in the tournament so far. They won their first four games on the trot, but then lost their next four games before a win against Sri Lanka helped them cement their spot in the semis.
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Rachin Ravindra has been the stand-out player for the Kiwis so far. He has scored 565 runs in nine games at an average of 70.62 and has been the key player at the top for the Kiwis. With the ball, Mitchell Santner is the top wicket-taker with 16 wickets at an average of 24.88.
The Wankhede Stadium is a high-scoring ground, so something similar is expected in the semi-final clash between India and New Zealand.
India
India has been the most consistent team in the tournament so far, with a perfect record of nine wins from nine matches. Their batting has been firing on all cylinders, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer all among the top run-scorers in the tournament. Their bowling attack has also been very impressive, with Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah leading the way.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand
New Zealand have had a mixed tournament so far, winning five and losing four matches. However, they have shown their class on several occasions, including their win over England in the group stage. New Zealand have a strong batting lineup, led by Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, and Glenn Maxwell. The bowling attack is also good, with Trent Boult, Matt Henry, and Tim Southee leading the way.
Probable XI: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham (wk), Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson
Fantasy XI Suggestion 1:
KL Rahul, Devon Conway (c), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, Shubman Gill (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Fantasy XI Suggestion 2:
KL Rahul, Devon Conway, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Trent Boult
