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NZ vs AFG: Afghanistan registered a massive win in their first game against Uganda by 125 runs. They are currently at the top of Group C. However, now they will be facing New Zealand in their next game. It will be the 14th game of the tournament, which will be played at Providence Stadium, Guyana, on Saturday. New Zealand will open their campaign and will be looking to start well.
The Black Caps have always done well in the ICC event, and they are expected to do well here as well. But Afghanistan will be high on confidence after a massive win in their opening game and will be looking to take the momentum forward. Both teams have a number of good players who can be very effective on their day. There will be some key match-ups between these sides. Here we will discuss the top three player battles in this NZ vs AFG clash that can change the game.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan Head to Head Records
Afghanistan and New Zealand have played only one game, which was in the 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE. New Zealand won that game by 8 wickets.
Top Three Player-battle in New Zealand vs Afghanistan Clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024
1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Trent Boult
Rahmanullah Gurbaz started the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 with a 45-ball 76 runs against Uganda. He is the best batter for Afghanistan and is a run machine for them at the top of the order. His powerhitting makes him different from other Afghanistan’s batters, which is why it is not easy to bowl at him.
But he will be facing Trent Boult with the new swinging ball, and Boult has an excellent record against the right-handers. The left-arm pacer brings the ball in and takes wickets. That’s what he will be looking to do. Boult has dismissed Gurbaz twice in T20s in 22 balls, but Gurbaz has scored 37 runs as well.
2. Kane Williamson vs Rashid Khan
Kane Williamson is back and will be leading New Zealand in this game. Many believe that he is not relevant to this format, but in ICC events, Williamson is a totally different batter. He will look to score runs here, and his technique is best suited for the pitches here. But he will be against his old mate, Rashid Khan.
These two have played for Sunrisers Hyderabad for 4-5 years together in the Indian Premier League and know a lot about each other’s games. Hence, this will be an interesting batter on the field. Williamson has scored 13 runs off 11 balls against Rashid in T20Is, while in the IPL, Rashid has dismissed the Kiwi captain once.
3. Devon Conway vs Fazalhaq Farooqi
Devon Conway will be back at the top for New Zealand after missing out on action for the last two months because of the injury. But he is completely fit now and will be looking to start where he left off a couple of months ago. The Southpaw is the consistent scorer for New Zealand at the top and has scored runs in big events.
However, he is a bit vulnerable with the new ball, and Fazalhaq Farooqi will be one bowler who can trouble him. The left-arm pacer took a fifer in the last game and will be high on confidence. The conditions will be with him, and he will look to take advantage.
