ODI World Cup 2023: India vs New Zealand, Match 21 - Top player battles to watch out for

India will face New Zealand in match No. 21 of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on October 22 2023. Both India and New Zealand have won all four matches they have played and are placed in the first two positions on the points table.

The two sides will both look to continue the winning run going into the game. New Zealand will miss the services of Kane Williamson, and India will be without Hardik Pandya, who sustained an injury in the game against Bangladesh. Here in this article, we will look at the player battles between India and New Zealand.

Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult:

Rohit Sharma has always been a victim of left-hand pace bowlers, and hence, the battle between Trent Boult will be one to watch out for. In 13 innings played between the two, Trent Boult has picked Rohit four times in as many as 137 balls, with 90 balls being dots, while Rohit Sharma has scored 89 runs in the same number of balls at an average of 22.25, but with a poor strike rate of 64.96. It will be interesting to see how in-form Rohit tackles Boult in Dharamsala. 

Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Santner:

Another interesting battle is between Virat Kohli and Mitchell Santner. Kohli’s struggles against left-arm spin, a key for New Zealand as they have a left-arm orthodox spinner in the form of Mitchell Santner. In 14 innings battled between the two, Santner has picked three wickets in 214 balls, with 89 being dot balls, while Kohli has scored 151 runs at an average of 50.33 and has struck at 70.56. Mitchell Santner will be the key to handle Kohli.

Tom Latham vs Kuldeep Yadav:

The battle between Kuldeep Yadav and Tom Latham is evenly poised. In six innings battled between the two, Tom Latham has scored 97 runs at an average of 48.50 and has struck at 112.79 while Kuldeep Yadav has picked two wickets with 30 balls being dot. Kuldeep Yadav will be the key against middle-order dominant New Zealand if all India have to complete five in five.  

Also check: ODI World Cup points table