India entered the tournament as one of the favourites to lift the trophy. Till now, they have justified the 'favourite' tag by defeating South Africa and Australia. They brushed aside their opponents with ease and authority, showing the class and talent of the team.
Their batting has flourished and the bowling line-up has looked dominant. But Shikhar Dhawan getting injured has dealt a serious blow to their World Cup aspirations. Dhawan's suspected hairline fracture will keep him sidelined for three weeks, according to media reports. He has been Indian batting's mainstay in ICC tournaments, and the team management now has a task at hand of finding the proper replacement.
New Zealand are on a roll in this tournament. They have won three consecutive matches and are sitting comfortably at the top of the table till now. But, they are yet to face a team strong enough to challenge their supremacy. Bangladesh came close, but Afghanistan and the current Sri Lankan team lack the pedigree to fight with the big boys of the arena. India are going to be New Zealand's first real test, a match that will demonstrate the Kiwis' strengths and weakness.
Probable XI:
India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant/Dinesh Karthik/ Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jhadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Colin de Grandhomme, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson
Betting odds: According to Oddschecker, New Zealand 9/5, India 1/2
