New Zealand Bat First in Must-Win T20 World Cup Clash Against England

New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first in a critical Super Eight match against England at the R Premadasa Stadium. Captain Mitchell Santner is leading an unchanged side, while England made one change, bringing Rehan Ahmed in for Jamie Overton. England has already secured a semi-final spot, leaving New Zealand needing a victory to advance from Group 2. The winner between Pakistan and New Zealand will join England in the final four.

Key Points: NZ Bat First vs England in Crucial T20 World Cup Match

  • NZ bat first in must-win match
  • England already qualified for semis
  • Santner, Brook lead unchanged XIs
  • Winner joins England in semi-finals
2 min read

T20 World Cup: New Zealand opt to bat first against England in Colombo

New Zealand opt to bat first against England in a must-win Super Eight T20 World Cup match in Colombo. Follow live updates and playing XIs.

"We're going to bat first. You have to win games if you want to win a World Cup. - Mitchell Santner"

Colombo, February 27

New Zealand have decided to bat first in a must-win Super Eight match against England, being played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday.

The Mitchell Santner-led side made no changes in their playing XI from their last game, whereas England made one change, bringing in Rehan Ahmed in place of Jamie Overton.

After winning the toss, Santner said, "We're going to bat first. You have to win games if you want to win a World Cup. Nice to have a run on this wicket the other night. We know what it's going to do. Does look the same. Looked good in the last game and spun more than we thought. If it's flatter, have to adjust accordingly. You try to use the dimensions in your favour. Same team."

England skipper Brook stressed that he will come to bat at number three after hitting a hundred in the last match while batting up the order.

During the toss, he said, "Would've won the toss and batted as well. Watched the game the other night, and there was spin here. They're an amazing side. If we can beat them and try to knock them out, that'll be great. I think we fielded amazingly throughout the competition. There was mis-execution in the previous game. I think I'll be sticking at number three. Jamie Overton is out, Rehan Ahmed is in."

England (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook(c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner(c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.

England have already qualified for the semi-finals and New Zealand need a win to book a place in the semis. From Group 2, Sri Lanka have already eliminated from the tournament, and now either Pakistan or New Zealand will join the Three Lions in the semi-finals.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a neutral fan, this is a fantastic match-up. England's batting lineup looks so strong, but New Zealand are always the dark horses. Hoping for a close game!
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Ananya R
Good to see Rehan Ahmed getting a game! But honestly, the real story is Pakistan vs NZ for that semi spot. As an Indian, I'm just enjoying the drama! 😄 May the best team win.
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Vikram M
Santner's logic makes sense. They had a good run on this wicket recently. But England's spin attack with Rashid and now Ahmed is no joke. NZ's top order needs to fire big time.
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David E
Brook at number three is the right call after his last innings. England looks settled. It's tough being a Kiwi fan right now, always in these must-win situations!
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Priya S
The article is fine, but it would be helpful to have a bit more analysis on the head-to-head record between these two in World Cups. Just stating the teams and the toss isn't enough for a proper preview.
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Karthik V
All eyes on Rachin Ravindra! Hope he gets a big score. The subcontinent conditions should suit him. Come on Black Caps, do it for the fans! 🤞

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