India have reached Dharamsala in anticipation of their crucial ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 showdown against the Black Caps- New Zealand. Having secured victories in all four of their matches, the formidable Men in Blue are set to face the other unbeaten side in World Cup 2023 New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday (October 22). The Indian team touched down at the airport in Dharamsala on Friday, October 20, 2023.
Take a look at the video here:
VIDEO | Indian Cricket Team arrives in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh ahead of their World Cup match against New Zealand scheduled to be held on October 22.#IndianCricketTeam #ICCWorldCup2023 #INDvsNZ pic.twitter.com/zc6L8dXcjf
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 20, 2023
Hardik Pandya will not play in India’s Playing 11 vs New Zealand
The hosts will have to manage without star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who sustained a left ankle injury trying to stop a straight hit by Litton Das in his follow-through during the match against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune. Pandya underwent scans and has been advised to rest. He will be under the constant care of the BCCI Medical Team and is expected to rejoin the squad directly in Lucknow, where India will face the defending champions England.
India can take confidence from their impressive performances so far. While Rohit Sharma is currently sitting at the top of the run-scorers table after the IND vs BAN match despite getting out for a duck in the first match against Australia, Virat Kohli is number two. On the other hand, New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner leads the table (last updated after IND vs BAN) of wicket-takers having bagged 11 scalps in his 4 matches. Jasprit Bumrah stands second just a wicket behind Santner.
In India’s previous match, an explosive opening partnership between skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, followed by Virat Kohli’s remarkable 48th ODI century, secured India a convincing seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their ICC Cricket World Cup encounter in Pune on Thursday.
The bowlers also played a crucial hand after Bangladesh got off to an outstanding start as they restricted them to a sub-par total of 256 for 8 wickets in their 50 overs. Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja bagged 2 wickets each.