The New Zealand cricket team receives a big boost ahead of a crucial ICC World Cup 2023 game against India as star pacer Tim Southee is available for the selection. Southee missed the team's opening four games in the tournament due to a fractured thumb but is set to make a return on Sunday, October 22.
In another major development, the regular skipper Kane Williamson remains unavailable for the India game due to a thumb injury but is expected to make a comeback in the latter stages of the tournament. Stand-in skipper Tom Latham confirmed the availability of Southee during the pre-match press conference in Dharamsala on Saturday, October 21.
New Zealand are facing injury issues with Kane Williamson and Tim Southee missing the majority of the games in the tournament. But the Kiwis remain at the top of the points table with four wins in four games and face their biggest challenge against India at Dharamsala's Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
The Black Caps thrashed the defending champions England in the opening game of the tournament and also beat lower-ranked sides Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Will Young has been feeling in for Williamson and has scored two back-to-back fifties.
In bowling, New Zealand have been excellent on all fronts with pacers Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson making good contribution. It will be interesting to see who will sit out for Southee or if the Kiwis will go with a four-man pace attack against India.
India World Cup Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami
New Zealand World Cup Squad: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, James Neesham
