The World Cup 2023 Qualifiers have reached the final six teams, and the first match of this stage will feature Zimbabwe taking on Oman. Zimbabwe enters the match with an undefeated record, having defeated strong teams like the West Indies and the Netherlands.
In contrast, Oman caused an upset by defeating Ireland, a favourite for World Cup qualification, during the group stage of the qualifiers.
Zimbabwe currently has four points and is likely to secure a place in the World Cup. They are only behind former ODI World Cup Champions, Sri Lanka, in terms of Net Run Rate.
Zimbabwe’s batsmen, including captain Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, and all-rounder Sikandar Raza, have been in exceptional form, ranking among the top six run-scorers in the tournament. In bowling, Richard Ngarava and Sikandar Raza also feature among the top six wicket-takers.
Oman, on the other hand, did not earn any points due to losses against Sri Lanka and Scotland. This significantly reduces their chances of qualifying for the World Cup in India. Oman began their campaign impressively by successfully chasing down 282 runs against Ireland with five wickets in hand.
A victory against UAE further boosted their prospects, but they couldn’t maintain their momentum against the stronger teams they faced in their final matches.
Match Details:
Date & Time: Thursday, June 29 & 12:30 PM IST
Venue: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Where to watch:
TV- Star Sports Network
Live-streaming – Disney+Hotstar and Website
Pitch Report:
Regarding the pitch, the surface at Queens Sports Club generally favours batsmen early in the game, offering good bounce and a flat track that allows them to play shots confidently. However, as the match progresses, the pitch may deteriorate, assisting the spinners.
Weather Forecast:
The weather forecast for the Zimbabwe vs Oman match predicts cloudy conditions without any chance of rain. The temperature is expected to be around 26 degrees Celsius.
Match Prediction:
Considering Zimbabwe’s dominant performance in the group stages, they are the clear favourites for the match. However, Oman will need to be at their best if they intend to defeat the in-form Zimbabwe team.
Prediction: Zimbabwe is likely to win the match.
Predicted Playing XI
Zimbabwe: Ryan Burl, Craig Ervine (c), Wessly Madhevere, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Clive Madande (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara, Joylord Gumbie.
Oman: Ayaan Khan, Jatinder Singh, Shoaib Khan, Aqib Ilyas, Zeeshan Maqsood (c), Mohammad Nadeem, Naseem Kushi (wk), Jay Odedra, Bilal Khan, Fayyaz Butt, Kashyap Prajapati
Squads:
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza, Joylord Gumbie (wk), Innocent Kaia, Sean Williams (c), Luke Jongwe, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brad Evans, Wessly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Craig Ervine, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Clive Madande, Ryan Burl.
Oman: Sandeep Goud, Samay Shrivastava, Kashyap Prajapati, Jatinder Singh, Aqib Ilyas, Zeeshan Maqsood (c), Mohammad Nadeem, Shoaib Khan, Naseem Khushi (wk), Fayyaz Butt, Jay Odedra, Kaleemullah, Adeel Shafique, Suraj Kumar, Rafiullah, Bilal Khan, Ayaan khan.
Dream11 Prediction: Top Player Picks
Wicketkeeper: Joylord Gumbie
Batters: Craig Ervine, Kashyap Prajapati
All-rounders: Ayaan khan, Ryan Burl, Sean Williams , Zeeshan Maqsood, Aqib Ilyas, Sikandar Raza
Bowlers: Bilal Khan, Richard Ngarava
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