New Zealand vs Afghanistan, 2023 World Cup: Probable XIs, pitch report, weather forecast, and live streaming details

New Zealand and Afghanistan are set to square off in Match 16 of the ongoing ICC men's ODI World Cup 2023. The upcoming fixture will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, October 18.

New Zealand have been incredible in their first three games. They are unbeaten in the tournament and are placed second on the points table with six points and a net run rate of +1.604.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, will also be riding high on confidence following their resounding triumph over defending champions England in Delhi. The Asian side will be looking to build on their inspiring performance and stake a claim for the final four.

Before the New Zealand vs Afghanistan match gets underway, here's a look at the pitch report, probable XIs, live streaming details, and weather forecast for this 2023 World Cup match.

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New Zealand vs Afghanistan, 2023 World Cup Match Details

Match Details: New Zealand vs Afghanistan, Match 16, 2023 World Cup

Date and Time: October 18, 2023, Wednesday; 2:00 pm IST

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

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New Zealand vs Afghanistan Pitch Report

MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai [Getty Images]

The upcoming game will be the third 2023 ODI World Cup match in Chennai. The venue hosted the games between India and Australia, and Bangladesh and New Zealand on October 8 and 13, respectively.

The pitch at Chepauk has traditionally aided slow bowlers. We have not seen many high-scoring matches at the venue, with the average first-innings total here being 232.

Having said that, the match between New Zealand and Afghanistan will be played on a fresh deck, so batters will fancy their chances as well. Also, there will be a good deal of difference between the lengths of the boundaries on either side.

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New Zealand vs Afghanistan Weather Forecast

Expect another hot day in Chennai. While there has been occasional rain in some parts of northern India, Chennai is expected to witness clear skies with a peak temperature of around 32 degrees Celsius and lowering to around 29 degrees Celsius towards the evening.

The humidity is expected to rise to around 76% towards the evening.

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New Zealand vs Afghanistan Probable XIs

New Zealand Probable XI

Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c)(wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

Afghanistan Probable XI

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

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New Zealand vs Afghanistan 2023 World Cup Match Prediction

Afghanistan players celebrating vs England [Getty Images]

Afghanistan stunned England in their previous game and recorded their second-ever victory in ODI World Cups. While there is every chance that Afghanistan give New Zealand a run for their money as well, the Kiwis look far more settled.

With different players dishing out phenomenal performances in each game, New Zealand have been the team to beat in the ongoing showpiece event. While they suffered a huge blow after losing out Kane Williamson due to a thumb fracture, the BlackCaps have most of their bases covered.

Afghanistan will need another special performance in Chennai if they are to complete another massive upset in the tournament.

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New Zealand vs Afghanistan Live Streaming Details and Channel List

TV: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, and Star Sports 1 Hindi HD.

Live Streaming: Disney+Hotstar (Free on Smartphones).