T20 World Cup 2021: Match 36, New Zealand vs Namibia Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match?

Preview

New Zealand and Namibia are set to cross swords in Match No.36 of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 on Friday, November 5 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. The Black Caps, led by Kane Williamson, are currently placed third in the points table in Group 2 with a net run rate of 0.816.

A win in their next game will take them to the second spot and strengthen their chances of qualifying for the semi-final. Namibia, on the other hand, have shown fighting spirit, but need something enormous to get into the top two. In their previous game, Pakistan beat them by 45 runs.

Match Details

Match – New Zealand vs Namibia – Match 36

Venue – Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Time – 03:30 PM IST, 10:00 AM GMT

Where to watch live – Star Sports Network

Pitch Report

The pitch in Sharjah has been a sporting one thus far in the T20 tournament. Scoring boundaries hasn’t been overly tough, but the bowlers have also extracted a lot from the surface. Batting second should remain the way forward for the teams.

Average first innings score: 143 (8 T20Is in Sharjah in T20 World Cup 2021)

Record of Chasing teams: Won – 5, Lost – 3, Tied – 0

Probable Playing XIs

New Zealand

Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

Bench: Todd Astle, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman

Namibia

Stephan Baard, Michael van Lingen, Craig Williams, Gerhard Erasmus (c), David Wiese, JJ Smit, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green (wk), Jan Frylinck, Ben Shikongo

Bench: Michau du Preez, Karl Birkenstock, Pikky Ya France, Bernard Scholtz

Head-to-head

New Zealand and Namibia are yet to face each other in T20Is.

Probable best batter of the match

Martin Guptill (New Zealand)

On Wednesday, Martin Guptill became the second male batter to notch 3000 runs in T20Is after Virat Kohli. He has been an integral part of the Black Caps’ setup for the last 12 years. In the previous match, the veteran looked at his very best, scoring 93 runs off 56 balls with the help of six fours and seven sixes. If Guptill gets going, Namibia could end up chasing leather.

Probable best bowler of the match

Trent Boult (New Zealand)

Trent Boult has been the standout bowler for New Zealand in the World Cup. With six wickets, he is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker for the Black Caps in the tournament alongside Ish Sodhi. The left-armer has performed efficiently both with the new ball and at the death. The Namibia batters need to be cautious while facing Boult in their next game.

Today’s match prediction: New Zealand to win the match.

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.