The India vs New Zealand semi-final in the 2023 Cricket World Cup is now officially confirmed. India finished top of the table in the group stage, while New Zealand finished fourth. The semi-final will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 15.
India has been in outstanding form in the ongoing Cricket World Cup, winning all eight of their matches so far. They have been a ruthless and fearless team, and they have looked invincible at times.
Head coach Rahul Dravid hinted on Saturday that India is likely to play with the same time against their upcoming match against Netherlands as they aim to sustain their intensity and winning momentum ahead of the semi-finals.
India's batting has been particularly impressive. Rohit Sharma has been instrumental in leading the Indian team to victory in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. He has been in excellent form with the bat, scoring 442 runs in eight matches at an average of 55.25 and a strike rate of 122. He has also scored one century and four half-centuries. Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul have all been in excellent form, and they have been ably supported by the middle order.
Virat Kohli has been a consistent run-scorer for India in the ongoing Cricket World Cup, getting a total of 543 runs in eight matches at an average of 67.87 and a strike rate of 98.62. He has scored two centuries and three half-centuries.
India's bowling attack, led by Mohammed Shami, has also contributed significantly to the team's triumph. Shami took 45 World Cup wickets in 14 innings, passing Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan to become India's leading wicket-taker in the competition.
New Zealand defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets to enter semi-final and lock horns with India at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. The initial partnership of Devon Conway and Rachan Ravindra did it for the Kiwis, and after they had a fruitful powerplay, it was a stroll in the park for the Blackcaps. Angelo Mathews contributed a handful of wickets, while the other bowlers did not contribute much.
New Zealand, the 2019 World Cup finalists, won their first four matches in India before losing the next four. They do, however, know how to turn things around, as they did in 2019 when they similarly battled to reaching the semi-finals but were able to turn things around and reach the final.