Pakistan advanced to the semifinals after winning four consecutive games in group 2, while their arch-rival India had a poor start to the T20 World Cup 2021 campaign.  Thankfully, the Indian team easily defeated the Afghan team by 66 runs in their third match. With this win, India are still in contention for a semifinal berth. However, the match between Afghanistan and New Zealand will ultimately determine the second semifinalist in Group 2. The match preview of the Afghanistan vs. New Zealand match is discussed in this article.   

Notable T20I Records of Afghanistan and New Zealand

Here are some notable records of Afghanistan and New Zealand in Twenty20 International.

Significant T20I records: Afghanistan and New Zealand 

	Afghanistan	New Zealand
Most Runs	Mohammad Shahzad (2011)	Martin Guptill (3,069)
Highest Score	Hazratullah Zazai (162*)	Brendon McCullum (123)
Most Fifties	Mohammad Shahzad (13)	Martin Guptill (20)
Most Wickets	Rashid Khan (100)	Tim Southee (102)
Best Bowling Figures	Rashid Khan (5/3)	Tim Southee (5/18)
Highest Partnership	Hazratullah Zazai & Usman Ghani (236)	DP Conway & GD Phillips (184)
Most Catches	Mohammad Nabi (47)	Martin Guptill (61)
Most Dismissals	Mohammad Shahzad (57)	Brendon McCullum (32)
Most Matches	Mohammad Nabi (85)	Martin Guptill (105)

Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/

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Afghanistan Team   

Afghanistan would have a huge test in the meeting against New Zealand. They must rejuvenate the team and need to identify an ideal playing XI, capable of posing a threat to New Zealand.   

Afghanistan's bowling effort against India appeared to be ineffective because of the absence of off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Rashid khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Sharafuddin Ashraf all were expensive in the match. They must resolve the issue prior to the match against the Blackcaps. Mujeeb will surely make a comeback against New Zealand, which would be a big concern for the Kiwi side.   

Read India get first points, beat Afghanistan at T20 World Cup

Predicted Playing XI: 

Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (wicket-keeper), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Usman Ghani, Mohammad Nabi (Captain), Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Hamid Hassan

New Zealand Team

New Zealand batters fared well against Scotland. Particularly opener Martin Guptill had a good outing in the match. Therefore, they will go into the encounter against Afghanistan with full confidence. In comparison, New Zealand's bowling unit has shown more consistency and they must continue to do so again in this encounter as well. This might be a do-or-die encounter for the Kiwis, so they will give it everything they have got in this crucial battle.   

Predicted Playing XI:

Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (wicket-keeper), Kane Williamson (C), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Todd Astle, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.

Read T20 World Cup: Imperious India post  210 vs Afghanistan 

How AFG-NZ fixture would be the ultimate decider

New Zealand and India have two games left, while Afghanistan have one game in hand in the Super 12 Round of the T20 World Cup 2021. New Zealand are anticipated to win over Namibia, but the match against Afghanistan will be difficult for them. The situation will change if New Zealand lose the match against Afghanistan. 

On the other hand, India must win both of their remaining matches against Scotland and Namibia to be in contention for a semifinal berth. The team with the better run rates will advance to the semifinals if each of the three teams has six points.     

Fixture: 

Afghanistan vs. New Zealand | Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi | Date: November 7 

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Verdict

Afghanistan and New Zealand are now in second and third position in Group 2, however the fate of New Zealand in the competition is in their own hands. If they win the remainder of their Super 12 fixtures, they won't have to rely on the outcomes of other games. On the other hand, Afghanistan are ready to shatter their dream and they are more than capable of doing it. This will be one of the most exciting matches in the Super 12s of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.