T20 World Cup 2022: Match 37 - Predicted New Zealand Playing XI vs Ireland

Match 37 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 will see the all-important clash between New Zealand and Ireland in their final fixture of the Super 12 stage. The Kiwis are reeling from a loss at the hands of England in their previous match as they were defeated by 20 runs. However, they have been sensational thus far in the event with massive wins coming their way against Australia and Sri Lanka.

On the other hand, Ireland have registered just one win and that came against England, courtesy of the DLS method playing a big role. The face-off against the Black Caps becomes an important one for Ireland, as they will be eyeing for the semi-final berth which was dented by England in the previous encounter.

New Zealand undoubtedly come into this fixture as the favourites but Ireland have the potential of handing an ‘upset’ to them that will knock them out of the World Cup.

Let’s look at New Zealand's probable playing XI against Ireland:

Openers: Finn Allen and Devon Conway (wk)

After relishing a terrific outing against Australia in the first match, the opening duo has been unable to maintain consistency and it reflected again in the match against England. Devon Conway usually takes his time to settle and then picks up by playing the big shots. At the other end, Finn Allen does not like wasting much time and gets going swiftly as seen in the first match against the Aussies.

The openers will need to build a solid foundation against Ireland and get the team off to a good start if they want to keep their hopes alive for the semi-finals.

Middle-Order: Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips

Kane Williamson has been terrific in terms of captaincy, however, the same cannot be said about his batting. The skipper has had average outings and has been getting dismissed for underwhelming scores in the Super 12 stage thus far. Moreover, in the match against England, the batter wanted to rotate the strike and then play the big ones, but his stay was shortened as he only managed to score 40 off 40 balls.

Glenn Phillips exploded in the match against Sri Lanka as he scored a century and was close to guiding the side to another victory against England. The 25-year-old smashed a majestic 36-ball 62 at a strike rate of 172.22 and that included three sixes and four fours. Certainly, the side will rely on him for power-hitting against the Irish.

All-rounders: Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner

Daryl Mitchell’s return after injury has not been pleasant for the national side as he has registered low scores in both his outings against Sri Lanka and England. However, the Black Caps will back him to adapt to the conditions soon and hope that he gets them to the big totals with his explosive hitting.

James Neesham too has been underwhelming with the bat as his only good performance was the cameo against the Aussies. In that contest, he scored a 13-ball 26 at a strike rate of 200.00 that gave a glimpse of what he is capable of. However, that has not particularly resonated in his recent innings and he will look to regain his form against Ireland and help the side if they progress any further.

Good with the bat, terrific with the ball, Mitchell Santner has instilled confidence in the management that he is an integral member of the squad. The all-rounder has relished some fine outings mostly with the ball.

Bowlers: Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

Tim Southee and Trent Boult - the duo has just been fantastic not for the Kiwis in the tournament. Economical performances have been relished by both pacers and that has given an edge to the side against the rival teams. Southee and Boult will continue to add threat with their expertise against the Irish batters in the forthcoming match.

Lockie Ferguson scalped two wickets against England but proved to be very expensive for the side as he leaked 45 runs in his four overs at an economy rate of 11.25. The pacer will need to work on this aspect as he has been targeted on numerous occasions despite the big grounds and the Australian conditions providing an advantage to the bowlers.

Ish Sodhi has used the Australian tracks to his advantage and will continue to do the same and can get the side a few wickets. Like Boult and Southee, Sodhi too has been impressive for the side and can dent the chances of the rivals.

New Zealand predicted XI against Ireland:

Devon Conway (wk), Finn Allen, Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult