World Cup 2023, 16th Match | NZ vs AFG - Cricket Fantasy Top Captain and Vice-captain Picks
Rashid Khan will be a key player for Afghanistan against New Zealand (Source: AP Photos)
In the 16th match of the tournament, New Zealand (NZ) will be playing against Afghanistan (AFG) on Wednesday, 18th October, 2023 at 2:00 PM IST. The match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Before the match goes live, here is a look at the top captain and vice-captain choices for the fantasy contests of the match.
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NZ vs AFG, Match 16: Venue Analysis
The pitches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, for the ODI World Cup 2023, have kept the batters and bowlers in the game all the time. The average first innings score at this venue in ODIs is 224, which is something both New Zealand and Afghanistan will have to breach, to give themselves the best chance to win against each other on October 18.
MA Chidambaram Stadium ODI Records
Matches: 36
Matches Won Batting First: 17
Matches Won Batting Second: 18
Average First Innings Total: 224
Average Second Innings Total: 206
Highest total recorded: 337/7 (50 Overs) by Asia XI vs Africa XI
Lowest total recorded: 69/10 (23.5 Overs) by KEN vs NZ
Highest score chased: 291/2 (47.5 Overs) by WI vs IND
Lowest score defended: 171/10 (45.4 Overs) by ENG vs RSA
NZ vs AFG, Match 16 - Toss Factor
The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium will be slow, and the batters will find it difficult to score runs in the first innings of the match. The spinners will enjoy the surface under the sun, but as the match progresses and the lights are switched on, dew is expected to come in and make the conditions better for batting. So, the team winning the toss will look to field first.
Scenario: If New Zealand Wins the Toss
Despite losing Kane Williamson with a thumb injury, New Zealand is a favourite to win this fixture. The Blackcaps have dominated every opponent in the tournament so far with top performances across departments. Kiwis will look to bowl first and chase down the target quickly to improve their net run rate.
Scenario: If Afghanistan Wins the Toss
Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have got starts in both the games so far this WC. Rahmanullah Gurbaz amassed 80 runs against England in the last match. The Afghans have lost both of their opening games while batting first but won the last while batting first. They will look to field first against New Zealand that may give them an outside chance.
NZ vs AFG, Match 16 - Top Captain and Vice-captain choices
Scenario: If New Zealand Fields First
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is a dashing explosive opener for the Afghans. The right-handed opener has more centuries (five) than fifties (two) in ODI cricket. If Afghanistan bats first, Gurbaz will look to provide his team a solid and big start.
Mitchell Santner (NZ)
The left-arm spinner bowled a match-winning spell in the last-to-last game, where he picked up five wickets. On the turning track of the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Santner will be a prized asset for New Zealand. Also, he can be handy with the bat lower down the order and, hence, will be an excellent pick for the fantasy contests of the match.
Scenario: If Afghanistan Fields First
Devon Conway (NZ)
New Zealand's Devon Conway is also another destructive opening player. The 33-year old has a deadly strike-rate of 104.57 in this tournament. He played a fluent knock of 152 off 121 in the first game and will look to repeat the same in the future matches.
Rashid Khan (AFG)
The leg-break googly spinner bowled a match-winning spell in the last game, where he picked up three wickets. On the turning track of the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Rashid will be a prized asset for Afganishtan. Also, he can be handy with the bat lower down the order and, hence, will be an excellent pick for the fantasy contests of the match.
NZ vs AFG, Match 16 - Big Risk, Big Return Choices
Rachin Ravindra (NZ)
The talented young all-rounder has given two outstanding performances in the tournament so far. The fact that he did not performed well in both department makes him a risky pick. But his current form makes Rachin Ravindra a risky yet worthy pick as the captain or vice-captain of the match.
 "Sanjay Sen")
