New Zealand will take on Sri Lanka in match number 41 of the World Cup 2023 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, November 9. The Kiwis are fourth in the points table with eight points from eight matches. They have been struck on eight points for a while now. Their last win in the World Cup came on October 18 against Afghanistan. Since then, they have lost four matches in a row. In their previous game, they went down to Pakistan by 21 runs [DLS method] in a rain-shortened match despite scoring 400-plus as Fakhar Zaman played a scintillating knock. A win against Sri Lanka on Thursday should be enough for them to book a place in the semi-finals. However, weather again stands in their way as there is a prediction for rain in Bengaluru.
Sri Lanka are ninth in the points table with two wins from eight matches. While they have been knocked out of the tournament, they still have a chance to push for the 2025 Champions Trophy qualification. In their last match, the Lankans went down to Bangladesh by three wickets in a hot-tempered game that saw plenty of skirmishes, the boiling point being Angelo Mathews’ timed-out dismissal. In the end, though, Sri Lanka lost. On that note, here are five player battles to watch out for.
Rachin Ravindra vs Dilshan Madushanka
Rachin Ravindra has been absolutely sensational for New Zealand in World Cup 2023. In fact, he is currently the third-leading run-getter in the tournament, with 523 runs at an average of 74.71 and a strike rate of 107.3. He has already notched up three hundreds in the World Cup. The talented left-handed batter kicked off the tournament with an unbeaten 123 against defending champions England. Ravindra then hammered 116 against Australia and 108 versus Pakistan. In addition, he has also hit two fifties. The southpaw has exceeded expectations in the tournament. Can he continue his golden run?
Promising left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka has been the biggest positive for Sri Lanka in the ongoing World Cup. Even as most of the others have blown hot and cold, Madushanka has been consistently personified. In fact, he is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 21 wickets from eight matches at an average of 22.24. Madushanka has stood out with both his accuracy and variation, making life difficult for batters. He claimed a three-for against Australia, four-for against the Netherlands, five against India, and another three versus Bangladesh. Can he strike early and get the big scalp of Ravindra?
Pathum Nissanka vs Tim Southee
Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka has done reasonably well for the team at the top of the order. However, he will be disappointed that he hasn’t converted his starts into big scores. Nissanka is 15th on the list of leading run-getters in the 2023 World Cup, scoring 330 runs in eight innings at an average of 47.14 and a strike rate of 90.91. The batter should have been much higher on the list. He has scored four consecutive half-centuries in the tournament and has been dismissed for 40s in two of his last three innings. Can he come up with a big one against New Zealand?
Seasoned Kiwi pacer Tim Southee has played the last two matches for the team after making a comeback from his injury. He had a forgettable game against South Africa, registering figures of 2/77 in his 10 overs. Southee did a decent job in the rain-shortened game against Pakistan, finishing with figures of 1/27 from five overs. With qualification for semis on the line, New Zealand will need an experienced pacer to step up. Can he prevent Nissanka from getting another of his impressive starts?
Kane Williamson vs Maheesh Theekshana
Kane Williamson has been amazing with the willow despite being in and out of the side due to injuries. After missing New Zealand’s initial matches, he came in against Bangladesh and made 78 before being forced to retire hurt as a throw struck his thumb. Williamson again had to miss a few games. He returned for the clash against Pakistan and straightaway contributed 95 off 79 balls, missing out on a well-deserved hundred. Williamson will look to carry on his impressive form with the bat.
Sri Lankan skipper Maheesh Theekshana sank to the ground after Bangladesh knocked them out of the World Cup. He cut a sorry figure as Theekshana was expected to play a key role in Sri Lanka’s campaign but couldn’t make much of an impact. The off-spinner has picked up one or two wickets in most games but failed to be lethal. Against Bangladesh, too, he finished with 2/44. Can Theekshana stand up to the Williamson challenge?
Charith Asalanka vs Trent Boult
Charith Asalanka had a disappointing World Cup 2023 campaign after beginning it with a half-century against South Africa. In the match against Bangladesh, though, he stood up and scored a fine hundred. The left-handed batter’s 108 came off 105 balls, featuring six fours and five sixes. Can he build on the impressive knock?
Kiwi left-arm pacer Trent Boult has been among the wickets but has also been expensive. He picked up a three-for against Australia but went for 77 runs. In the last two matches, Boult has picked up only one scalp. Can he stand up and deliver the goods in the battle against Asalanka?
Daryl Mitchell vs Dushmantha Chameera
Daryl Mitchell has been New Zealand’s standout batter in the World Cup after Ravindra. In seven innings, he has scored 375 runs at an average of 62.50 and a strike rate of 108.07. Mitchell’s aggressive knocks have boosted the Kiwis’ scoring. However, he hasn’t converted starts in recent matches, and will be keen to rectify that.
Dushmantha Chameera has played three matches for Sri Lanka after replacing Lahiru Kumara in the World Cup squad. However, he has only managed one wicket in these games and has also gone for a few runs. He must bring his experience to the fore and stop a possible Mitchell assault.