New Zealand and Pakistan will take on each other in match No. 35 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Saturday, November 4. The match will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. While the two teams take each other on the playing field, the fantasy cricket managers have a chance to pick their favourite players and form their teams. The performance of the players on the field will translate to points for each fantasy team picked, and the manager with the team with the most points stands a chance to win attractive prizes.
New Zealand's tournament began on a high, as they picked up four wins on the trot. After a comprehensive all-round performance against England in the opening match of the World Cup, they went on to beat Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan by convincing margins as well.
However, they have fallen flat since, losing three matches on the trot. It all began with a close defeat to India and Australia in Dharamshala. Their confidence took a major dent in Pune as South Africa registered a 190-run, also jeopardising their chances of making it to the semi-finals. A defeat to Pakistan can make things very tricky for the Kiwis.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have had a tournament which is typical to their unpredictable standard. After two big wins on the trot against Sri Lanka and Netherlands, they lost to India, Afghanistan, Australia and South Africa in successive matches.
They gained some much-needed momentum at the Eden Gardens against Bangladesh, where they registered a resounding seven-wicket win. After bowling out Bangladesh for 204 runs, Pakistan chased the total down in 32.3 overs. Fakhar Zaman was named Player of the Match for his 81 off 74 balls.
NZ vs PAK fantasy XI
Wicket-keepers: Devon Conway, Mohammad Rizwan
Batters: Daryl Mitchell, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique
All-rounders: Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips
Bowlers: Trent Boult, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
We have gone with six New Zealand players in the playing XI as they are in a better position to win this fixture.
Devon Conway and Mohammad Rizwan are the top choice picks among keeper-batters. Conway has scored 279 runs in seven matches, while Rizwan is Pakistan's leading run-scorer with 359 runs at an average of 71.80.
Among batters, Daryl Mitchell has been in sensational form for New Zealand. He scored 346 runs at a strike-rate of 105.16, which includes one century and two half-centuries. For Pakistan, Fakhar Zaman is coming on the back of a terrific performance against Bangladesh, while Abdullah Shafique is in impressive form as well, scoring 332 runs at an average of 55.33.
We have gone with an all-Kiwi all-rounder selection. Glenn Phillips has scored 186 runs and picked up six wickets, while Rachin Ravindra is leading the run-scoring charts for New Zealand while also picking three wickets. Mitchell Santner too is among the top contributors for the Black Caps in the ongoing World Cup.
Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are crucial to Pakistan's chances and both of them have contributed well to the team so far. Afridi picked up 16 wickets, while Rauf has 12 to his credit. Since New Zealand have some injury concerns among bowlers, Trent Boult is a safe bet.
Captain: Rachin Ravindra
Rachin Ravindra is the Kiwis' leading run-scorer in the tournament with 415 runs in seven matches, which includes two centuries against England and Australia. He is also batting at a terrific strike-rate of 105.59 in the tournament. He is the best choice for captaincy in this match.
Vice-captain: Mitchell Santner
Mitchell Santner is New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps in seven matches. He also scored 68 runs at a strike-rate of 125.92 so far and is capable of contributing with the bat as well.