CHENNAI, India — In a crucial Group D encounter at the T20 World Cup, New Zealand is positioned to secure advancement to the Super 8s stage with a victory over Canada on Tuesday. The match commenced after Canada won the toss and opted to bat first.
New Zealand’s lineup experienced significant last-minute alterations due to unforeseen circumstances. Regular captain Mitchell Santner was ruled out after falling ill, with stand-in skipper Daryl Mitchell attributing the absence to Santner having “a dodgy burger last night.” Cole McConchie was named as his direct replacement in the playing eleven.
The Kiwis were compelled to make a second change, with pace bowler Kyle Jamieson stepping in for Lockie Ferguson, who returned to New Zealand for the birth of his first child. Ferguson is expected to rejoin the squad should New Zealand progress to the Super 8s phase.
Having commenced their campaign with victories against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates before suffering a defeat to South Africa, New Zealand requires this third group stage win to confirm their place in the next round alongside already-qualified teams including South Africa, England, West Indies, India, and Sri Lanka.
Conversely, Canada faces elimination from the tournament following previous losses to the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. This match marks the first-ever T20 international meeting between the two nations, though New Zealand holds a perfect record in their three prior ODI encounters.
The day’s cricketing action also features critical matches with significant tournament implications. Zimbabwe’s clash with Ireland could potentially result in the shocking early elimination of the 2021 champion Australia, which would mark their first first-round exit since 2009. Additionally, Nepal concludes its World Cup campaign against Scotland after losing all three of its group stage fixtures.
Lineups:
Canada: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (captain), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (captain), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.