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India will be playing against New Zealand in the 21st match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)
India and New Zealand will be rumbling against each other in Match 21 of the ongoing 2023 World Cup on October 22 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala. It's the battle of the table toppers and the picturesque venue makes it even more amusing.
New Zealand initiated the tourney with a triumph over the defending champions, England. They followed it by sweet victories over Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. They are without Kane Williamson who was injured after making a return against Bangladesh. Tim Southee is likely to be fit for selection and could be an option for the interim skipper Tom Latham.
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On the flip side, India kicked off the mega event with a captivating victory against Australia in Chennai. They pulled the chase of 200 runs after being pushed back to 2-3. It was followed by victories over three Asian nations- Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The side will be without Hardik Pandya who was injured while bowling in the game against Bangladesh. So how will the Indian line-up look without Pandya? Let's have a look.
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Openers: Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill
Indian team should March with the same opening combination in Dharamshala against New Zealand. Rohit Sharma being the leader of the troop, and in some amazing form, he will be opening the batting alongside Shubman Gill. Sharma piled up 265 runs from four innings where he scored 45+ runs in his last three knocks. He has also hit the most sixes for India so far- 13 in just four innings.
The conditions of Dharamshala will be more like home to Gill who has played a lot there. He also got a half-century against Bangladesh in the last game after making a comeback from Dengue fever against Pakistan. Gill is a steady batter against both pace and spin and should come well in the upcoming encounter.
Middle-Order- Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav
Virat Kohli aka. 'The King' has been in scintillating form with the bat in hand for India. He is arriving off a dazzling century against Bangladesh that saw India go past the finishing line. He also brought up a vital 85 run knock against Australia. Kohli has two fifties and a ton in the ongoing World Cup and is the second most run-getter for India in World Cup 2023.
The former Indian skipper will be followed by Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul at no. 4 and 5. The former is taking his time to peak and has looked in good touch at times. He has a fifty in the tournament. Rahul, on the other hand, was impeccable with the bat against Australia, finishing at 97*. He is someone who is yet to get dismissed in the World Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav could be the possible replacement for injured Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder will join the team straight in Lucknow where the Men in Blue is supposed to play England. Surya showed glimpses of what he can do with the willow during the Australia bilateral series in the lead up to the mega event.
All-rounder: Ravindra Jadeja
Pandya's injury may force India to go with one primary all-rounder and that is Ravindra Jadeja. The left-arm orthodox spinner is a go to option for the side. His contribution in the field is beyond adjectives and the Guarat-based cricketer has been a precious weapon in these conditions during the second and third powerplay.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj
Kuldeep Yadav is a much improved bowler in recent times and there should be no doubt about it. He is the leading wicket-taker in ODIs in calendar year 2023. He could be accompanied by three pacers- Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The latter two has been the regular option for the Indian management in the bonanza event thus far. However with Hardik Pandya injured they could opt for a regular pacer who can be a lethal attacking option with the ball in hand.
India Predicted XI vs New Zealand
Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
 "Arijit Kundu")
