ODI World Cup 2023: Player Battles to Watch Out For in the semi-final clash between India vs New Zealand

The stage is set as India and New Zealand gear up for a colossal clash in the semi-final of the ODI World Cup 2023 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15. This encounter marks a déjà vu moment, as these two cricketing powerhouses find themselves facing off in a knockout match for the second consecutive World Cup.

New Zealand's journey in the league stage of the tournament has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. The Blackcaps kicked off with a stellar performance, securing victories against England, Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. However, their momentum hit a roadblock with four successive losses to India, Australia, South Africa, and Pakistan. A crucial five-wicket win against Sri Lanka secured their spot in the semi-finals.

In contrast, India has been a dominating force in the World Cup, stamping their opposition by winning all nine of their matches convincingly. Their supremacy was evident when they triumphed over New Zealand in the league stage by four wickets. New Zealand has been an Achilles heel for India in multi-national tournaments but India broke the jinx by overcoming the Kiwi challenge and becoming the first team to secure a spot in the semi-finals.

India and New Zealand have been two of the strongest cricketing nations and give their fans a treat whenever these two teams face each other. When teams of such calibre are against each other, there are always small mini-battles within the bigger one.

Here are some potential key battles that we’ll explore on Wednesday

1. Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult

Rohit Sharma’s weakness against the incoming ball onto the pads by left-hand pacers is known to all especially when there is a world-class bowler at the other end and New Zealand has some of the finest bowlers in their armory. But the best of them is Trent Boult and his knack for taking wickets sends chills among top-order batters around the world.

Rohit Sharma has faced Boult in 13 innings and got out to him 4 times. He has scored 69 runs against Boult with a strike rate of 135 but has a low average of 17.25. But in the recent Asia Cup and World Cup, Rohit Sharma has been in sublime form and has attacked left-handed bowlers from the get-go and most of the time has been successful in doing so. Therefore, it will be the most intriguing battle to look at in tomorrow’s match.

2. Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Santner

Virat Kohli is India’s premier batter and the highest scorer for India in this World Cup. Virat has scored 594 runs in the 9 matches of the World Cup with 2 centuries and 5 half centuries. But in recent years we have seen left-arm spinners troubling Virat Kohli consistently and Mitchell Santner is the one who has topped the charts.

In 15 innings, Kohli managed just 164 runs off Santner’s 238 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes for three dismissals in ODIs. Santner is also one of the leading wicket-takers in this World Cup and has scalped 16 wickets in 9 matches with the best figure of 6/59.

3. Rachin Ravindra vs Jasprit Bumrah

Rachin Ravindra has by far been the find of the World Cup. The left-handed batter from New Zealand has amassed 565 runs in 9 innings with 3 centuries. The Southpaw batted has been the mainstay for New Zealand in this World Cup and has provided them with aggressive starts in the absence of Kane Williamson. They will expect him to come big again in the all-important match.

On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah has been the most economical bowler in the World Cup and provided a crucial breakthrough to India and they will rely heavily on Bumrah to give them an early breakthrough on a good Wankhede wicket.

4. Daryl Mitchell vs Kuldeep Yadav

Another mini battle in the match will be between Daryl Mitchell and Indian chinaman Kuldeep Yadav. Mitchell is New Zealand’s best batter of spin along with Kane Williamson. In the last encounter during the league stage, Mitchell took Kuldeep to the cleaners and won the battle. 

Kuldeep is an important player for India during the middle overs and has been providing key breakthroughs to India at crucial junctions. Similarly, Mitchell is the aggressor for New Zealand in the middle overs and will look to attack Kuldeep Yadav to give New Zealand an edge over India, so it will be another interesting battle to watch out for.