New Zealand and Afghanistan will lock horns in a virtual quarterfinal on Sunday at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. India will also have a close eye on this game as their fate of making it to the semifinal hangs on the result of this encounter. If the Kiwis prevail over the Afghans, they will go through and if Afghanistan manage to beat their opponents, Mohammad Nabi & Co will open up doors for Virat Kohli & his boys to progress through to the top four.

Afghanistan defeated the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to gain direct qualification into the Super 12s, but have hardly lived up to that billing. Having lost to powerhouses Pakistan and India, Williamson’s New Zealand is their last chance saloon for deliverance.

After a close call off his own bowling against Namibia, Ish Sodhi has been cleared to be available for selection against @ACBofficials in the team's final Group Game. Follow play in Abu Dhabi from 11pm NZT on @skysportnz & @SENZ_Radio with highlights on @sparknzsport #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/0gfy4DN5is

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 7, 2021

New Zealand, on the other hand, have made a steady rise after losing to Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup opener. The Blackcaps remain a force and are once again sneaking their way up to the top four.

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Match Details

Match Details – Afghanistan vs New Zealand, Match 40, ICC T20 World Cup 2021

Venue:  Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Time: 3:30 PM IST, Toss – 3 PM IST

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Pitch Report

4 out of the last 6 games here have been won by the side batting first. That said, the afternoon games have panned out a bit differently, with the chasing team coming out victorious in 6 out of the 7 games so far. The trend is likely to continue during the Afghanistan-New Zealand encounter.

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Afghanistan vs New Zealand – Predicted Playing XI

Afghanistan: Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Gulbadin Naib, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (c), Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, Sharafuddin Ashraf/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Hamid Hassan

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

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Afghanistan vs New Zealand – Fantasy Team Suggestions

Fantasy Team 1: Mohammad Shahzad, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson (c), Najibullah Zadran, Glenn Phillips, Mohammad Nabi (vc), Mitchell Santner, Hamid Hassan, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Rashid Khan

Fantasy Team 2: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (vc), Martin Guptill (c), Daryl Mitchell, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Jimmy Neesham, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Rashid Khan, Tim Southee

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