This is tipped to be their toughest fixture in the opening round of the competition, setting the stage for the last-four round where the teams will be facing respective opponents from Group B.
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The Men in Blue and Kiwis have shown impeccable cohesion in all departments thus far. They have been dominant with the bat and hunted in a pack with the ball, ensuring that they do not let the opponents sway their way with the game even when the momentum has not entirely been in their control.
Predicted Playing XI
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, William O’Rourke.
Key Players
Shubman Gill (India)
The ICC No. 1 ranked ODI batter has been on a roll in the format ever since the turn of the calendar year. He has looked admirably at ease in pacing his innings, accelerating when required, and all in all pulling the strings as per the demands of the situation. He will be crucial in helping India overcome New Zealand’s multi-thronged bowling attack.
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand)
In addition to the captaincy role, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner holds the key in keeping control over India’s scoring rate in the middle overs. Santner can be more than handy with the bat towards the death too, ensuring all-round contributions that could be vital in triumphing over Rohit Sharma’s men.
Weather Report
Sunny weather with temperature hovering around 22°C and zero chances of rain is expected during the match in Dubai.
Where to Watch
The match will be telecast on Star Sports Network and streamed simultaneously on JioHotstar application.
First Published: Mar 2, 2025 10:41 AM IST
