NZ vs SL Match Preview
Tom Latham, who did an excellent job of leading his team in the ODIs will once again don the skipper’s hat and will play an important role in the middle order.
Chad Bowes and Will Young are likely to open the batting for the team and will be hoping to get a good start, while Daryl Mitchell and Tim Seifert will look to build the innings in the middle overs. James Neesham, who last played an international T20 in the home series against India, will most likely get a chance to play here along with Rachin Ravindra.
New Zealand has a strong pace attack consisting of Matt Henry, Henry Shipley, and Daryl Mitchell, while Ish Sodhi is the only full-time spinner in the squad.
Sri Lanka has a more or less unchanged squad from the ODIs for the T20 series and they will be looking to put up a better performance here.
Pathum Nissanka and Nuwanidu Fernando are once again expected to open the batting for the visitors. Nissanka scored a half-century in the last ODI and the team will be banking on him to put up another solid performance here.
The team has a long list of all-rounders who will fill in the middle order and will have to shoulder the scoring responsibilities toward the end of the inning. However, the likes of Dasun Shanaka, Charith Asalanka, and Dhananjaya de Silva haven’t been in the best of forms with the bat.
Chamika Karunaratne and Lahiru Kumara will lead the pace attack while Kasun Rajitha will hope to give good support to them.
Weather Report
The weather is likely to remain cloudy with temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius.
Pitch Report
The surface at Eden Park is pretty flat and excellent to bat on. The ball comes on nicely to the bat, making it easy for the batsmen to play their shots. That said, the quicker bowlers are likely to find some assistance here as the pitch does tend to offer some movement off the seam and also some swing, especially early on in the game.
Notable stats
Wanindu Hasaranga's Reliable Bowling
Over the past few years, Wanindu Hasaranga has evolved into one of Sri Lanka’s most reliable spinners in limited-overs cricket. He has picked up 89 wickets in 55 matches and has an excellent economy rate of 6.80 runs per over.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
NZ vs SL Probable 11
NZ Playing 11
- Tom Latham (C)
- Chad Bowes
- Will Young
- Daryl Mitchell
- Henry Shipley
- Tim Seifert
- Adam Milne
- Rachin Ravindra
- James Neesham
- Ish Sodhi
- Matt Henry
SL Playing 11
- Pathum Nissanka
- Nuwanidu Fernando
- Kusal Mendis (Wk)
- Dasun Shanaka (C)
- Charith Asalanka
- Dhananjaya de Silva
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Chamika Karunaratne
- Lahiru Kumara
- Kasun Rajitha
- Kusal Perera
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing New Zealand to win this match. They have played some excellent cricket throughout this tour and haven’t allowed the visitors much leeway. They have a strong batting line-up and some big hitters of the cricket ball, who are capable of taking on the attack to the Sri Lankan bowlers.
Top Picks
Henry Shipley: After a brilliant performance in the ODI series, Shipley will be raring to have a go in the shortest format of the game. He has a good track record in domestic T20s, where he has picked up 31 wickets in 34 matches and has also scored 333 runs.
James Neesham: James Neesham has proved to be a valuable all-rounder for the Black Caps over the past few years. He has scored 688 runs at a strike rate of 159.62 and has also picked up 25 wickets.
Kusal Mendis: Mendis is an aggressive batsman who is capable of scoring runs at a rapid rate and isn’t afraid to take the aerial route. He has scored 1162 runs in International T20s at a strike rate of 130.85.
NZ vs SL Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: K Mendis, T Latham
Batters: D Mitchell (C), P Nissanka
All-rounders: D Shanaka, J Neesham, W Hasaranga, C Karunaratne
Bowlers: A Milne, M Henry, H Shipley (VC)
