India and New Zealand will play against each other in 1st Semifinal match of ICC World Cup 2023 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium...
Digital Desk: As the Wankhede Stadium prepares to host the first semi-final of the 2023 World Cup, Indian cricket fans are experiencing a sense of déjà vu, recalling the haunting memories of the 2019 World Cup semi-final. The wounds of that defeat to New Zealand in Manchester are still fresh in the minds of Indian players, and now, four years later, they have an opportunity for redemption.
Led by Virat Kohli in 2019, India faced a heartbreaking exit in the semi-finals against the Kiwis. Fast forward to the present, and the Indian team, captained by Rohit Sharma, is once again set to confront New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup.
India enters the match as the firm favorites, having maintained an unbeaten record throughout the competition and securing the top spot on the World Cup points table. In contrast, New Zealand earned their spot in the semi-finals by finishing fourth in the standings with their last league-stage victory against Sri Lanka.
In head-to-head ODI encounters, India holds a historical advantage over New Zealand, winning 59 out of their 117 encounters. However, New Zealand has emerged victorious 50 times, making it a closely contested rivalry.
The two teams clashed during the league stage of the current World Cup in October, where India secured a four-wicket victory. Now, the stakes are higher, and both teams are expected to field their best XIs.
For India, the probable XI includes Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand is likely to feature Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham (wk), Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, and Trent Boult.
As the cricketing world eagerly awaits this clash, emotions run high for Indian fans who hope their team can bury the ghosts of 2019 and secure a spot in the World Cup final.
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