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Tournament: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.
Date: October 29, 2022
Format: T20I
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia.
Time: 08:00

Sri Lanka takes on New Zealand in the 27th game of the T20 world cup, 2022 later tomorrow. This match will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia on Saturday. In their opening fixture, New Zealand defeated Australia but their second match had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. Sri Lanka on the other hand beat Ireland but they lost to Australia in their other outing in the world cup. Read on for betting tips and match predictions for this game. This game for the Super 12 stage will be played at the SCG.

New Zealand was a bit unlucky in their match against Afghanistan as they had to endure bad weather. However, they will be in a commanding position in the group if they manage to pull off a win in this game. Keep in mind that New Zealand has a terrific record against Sri Lanka and so, they will be brimming with confidence in this game. On the other hand, Sri Lanka proved to be too good for Ireland in their opening fixture. However, in the next game, they were defeated by Australia. They couldn’t stop Marcus Stoinis in full flight. They will be cautious about the same fate again here against a powerful batting line-up.

NZ VS SL TEAM PREVIEWS

NEW ZEALAND

The weather conditions prevailing at the match between New Zealand and Afghanistan were so bad that even the toss was not possible in Melbourne on Wednesday. So, it is likely that there will be no changes to the New Zealand side ahead of this match. Lockie Ferguson must have had plenty of rest for 9 days between the two games and will be well-rested as a result. One of the top players for New Zealand in the T20 world cup is Devon Conway. This left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman has scored more than 1000 runs since making his debut in 2020 November. He was among the runs in the world cup as well, hitting a terrific 92 from 58 balls to take his side home against Australia.

Another important player for New Zealand in this match is Trent Boult. This left-arm fast bowler is easily one of the more consistent bowlers for New Zealand. He is one of the top performers in international cricket and is a constant threat to the opposition with the ball in hand throughout the innings. Another experienced customer for New Zealand is Tim Southee. The right-arm fast-medium bowler was responsible for dismissing Aaron Finch, Mitchell Marsh, and David Warner in the match against Australia. All these are top batters for Australia.

The New Zealand team is in excellent form at the moment having won 4 out of their last 5 matches in this format. Glenn Phillips and James Nisham have created havoc in their opposition to the middle order. Phillips is the leading run-getter for New Zealand this year with 461 runs and he has scored these runs at a strike rate of 152.64. Nisham has also scored 245 runs in the same number of matches and he is going with an amazing strike rate of 192.91. Daryl Mitchell is side-lined for this match due to injury and his place will be taken by Mark Chapman for the number 6 slot.

SRI LANKA

This competition has turned out to be a tournament of injuries for the Sri Lankan fast bowlers. One of the latest additions to the list of injured players for Sri Lanka is Binura Fernando. He is also ruled out of the competition. Fernando bowled just five deliveries in the Australian innings before he had to leave the field. He will be replaced by Asitha Fernando in the team. Another key batter for Sri Lanka in this world cup is Pathum Nissanka. This 24-year-old batsman has already scored 40 against Australia and 74 against UAE in the competition.

The opening bat for Sri Lanka in the match is Kusal Mendis. He was at his best against Ireland and was one of the main contributors with a 68 from 43 balls. He picked up the player of the match award in this game as his team won the match by a margin of 9 wickets with 30 balls to spare in the match. Waninda Hasaranga is a bowling all-rounder for Sri Lanka. He conceded 53 runs from 3 overs in the game against Australia. However, he is one of the joint leading wicket-takers in the competition with 9 dismissals to his credit.

Their 7-wicket drubbing at the hands of Australia ended a run of 3-match wins for Sri Lanka in this format of the game. However, the Sri Lankan middle order has proved its worth in the last few matches. Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa have put together 732 runs in their last 34 innings for Sri Lanka this year with a strike rate of 138. As far as the Sri Lankan batting line-up is concerned, Shanaka has the best overall strike rate of 140. It also indicates that if New Zealand succeeds in putting together a big total on board, the Sri Lankan batting order might struggle.

Final Verdict

New Zealand is the favorites to beat Sri Lanka.