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A mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash beckons at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday, October 22, as India face New Zealand in the round-robin stage of the 2023 World Cup.
Both teams remain the only unbeaten outfits of the competition thus far, with four wins each. Victory on Sunday will take them a step closer to securing a berth in the semifinals, and given how chanceless the two teams have looked, it's hard to pick a favorite for this contest.
India have been dealt a major blow, though, with all-rounder and vice-captain Hardik Pandya ruled out of this clash owing to an ankle injury sustained against Bangladesh. New Zealand will continue to miss the services of skipper Kane Williamson as he recovers from a fractured thumb, with Tom Latham leading in his absence.
The last time these two sides met at the ODI World Cup was back in the 2019 edition, when they played out an epic semifinal over two days. New Zealand came up trumps to break a billion-plus Indian hearts as the Kiwis progressed to the final.
A number of talking points will headline this 2023 World Cup encounter on Sunday in that regard. Ahead of the same, we attempt at picking a combined playing XI from the two teams.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c) and Devon Conway
A right-left combination and two of the most in-form batters at the 2023 World Cup - everything is right about Rohit Sharma and Devon Conway opening the batting in a parallel world.
Rohit has amassed 265 runs in the tournament at an average of 66.25 and has been blazing away up top, as his strike rate of 137.30 suggests. Conway has tallied 249 runs at an average of 83.00, and while his strike rate reads a superb 104.62, he can play the perfect second fiddle when required.
India's captain will also lead this playing XI, with his tactics and bowling changes being at their impressive best in the last two games in particular.
Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Daryl Mitchell and KL Rahul (wk)
Virat Kohli has been in sensational form with the bat, and there are no two ways about it. The superstar Indian batter has scored 259 runs so far in the 2023 World Cup, including two half-centuries and a century, and will form the rock of this batting lineup at No. 3.
KL Rahul is yet to be dismissed in the tournament, having scored 150 runs, with his highest score of an unbeaten 97 against Australia being one of the best knocks of the competition. His wicket-keeping has been immaculate, and he will don the same role here too.
Sandwiched between the Indian duo is Daryl Mitchell, who hasn't had too many opportunites out in the middle but has been in superb form nonetheless. He has scored 138 runs at an average of 69.00 thus far, with his highest score being an unbeaten 89 versus Bangladesh in Chennai.
All-rounders: Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner
With Pandya unavailable for this clash, the Blackcaps duo of Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner make it as the all-rounders in this playing XI, pipping Ravindra Jadeja by a narrow margin.
Phillips enters this game on the back of a match-winning 80-ball 71 that rescued New Zealand against Afghanistan and helped them post a winning total in the company of Tom Latham. He has also had the golden arm with the ball, often chipping in as a partnership breaker and having snared three wickets with his off-spin.
Santner hasn't had much to do with the bat, save for his unbeaten 36 against The Netherlands. He has been head and shoulders above the rest of the spinners in the competition, though, and is the joint-highest wicket-taker so far. He has 11 wickets from four matches at 15.09 apiece and an exceptional economy rate of 4.40.
Bowlers: Matt Henry, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Trent Boult
Kuldeep Yadav has been consistently brilliant at the 2023 World Cup and will partner Santner and Phillips in the spin attack as far as this playing XI is concerned. He has bagged six wickets so far at an economy rate of just 4.10 while showing incredible control over his variations in the middle overs.
A three-man pace attack rounds off this XI, with the Kiwi duo of Matt Henry and Trent Boult joining India's Jasprit Bumrah.
While Henry has picked up nine wickets in the 2023 World Cup, Boult has bagged just five scalps. The left-armer should enjoy the conditions in Dharamsala that ought to aid movement with the new ball and has bowled with really good control in his own right, even if it hasn't reflected in a host of wickets.
Bumrah has comfortably been the bowler of the 2023 World Cup so far. 10 wickets from four games at an average of 13.40 and a staggering economy rate of 3.62 tells the story, doesn't it?
Combined India-New Zealand playing XI ahead of 2023 World Cup clash: Rohit Sharma (c), Devon Conway, Virat Kohli, Daryl Mitchell, KL Rahul (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Trent Boult.
Who among India and New Zealand start as favorites for their 2023 World Cup clash in Dharamsala? Have your say in the comments section below!
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