Last Update on: November 9th, 2023 at 01:35 pm
New Zealand and Sri Lanka will lock horns in their final league stage match at the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, November 9. However, the rain could potentially disrupt the crucial match ahead of the semi-final stage.
The Kane Williamson-led team will aim to end their losing streak to maintain hopes of reaching the semi-finals. The Kiwis could secure a spot in the semi-finals with a victory in their last league match. They currently hold the fourth position in the table with 8 points.
Sri Lanka has had a disappointing campaign in the tournament, as they secured only two wins out of eight matches. They are currently in the ninth position, and a victory would help them secure their place in the 2025 Champions Trophy as the top eight teams qualify.
Weather Forecast Suggests Rain Can Affect The Game
Rain had a significant impact on New Zealand’s last World Cup match at the same venue, resulting in a loss to Pakistan by the DLS method, despite the Kiwis scoring 400 runs. The Black Caps suffered four consecutive losses in the league stage of the tournament.
The Accuweather forecast suggests rain can affect the New Zealand-Sri Lanka match. A 90 percent chance of precipitation and a 54 percent chance of thunderstorms are expected, with a predicted continuous rain spell of three hours and 86 percent cloud cover.
Watch – Bengaluru’s Weather Ahead Of New Zealand-Sri Lanka Match
RevSportz journalist Subhayan Chakraborty shared a weather update for the Bengaluru match, noting overcast and gloomy conditions with chances of rain. The uncertain weather raises the possibility of an India-Pakistan semi-final match in the prestigious tournament.
Weather Update from Bengaluru🌦
Overcast and gloomy with chances of rain!
How will it affect the SL vs NZ match and will there be a chance of #INDvPAK semi-final? @CricSubhayan with details. #CWC2023 #CWC23INDIA #CWC2023INDIA pic.twitter.com/57ORqCVFR7
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) November 9, 2023
Lots Of Things That We Can’t Control – Kane Williamson
Speaking ahead of the Sri Lanka fixture, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said that he isn’t concerned about the uncontrollable weather conditions and prefers to focus on the match.
“There are lots of things that we can’t control and the weather is one of those. There’s been a lot of weather around and it could look different tomorrow. So, we’ll just have to play what’s in front of us and focus on our skills as a batting and bowling unit, whether that’s looking to be aggressive or trying to handle some death overs as well as we can,” Williamson said.
“Or with the bat, assessing conditions and trying to do the job and building those partnerships. But at the end of the day, our focus will be on the cricket that we want to play and trying to put all our focus and energy into that. That gives us the best chance of putting out a good performance. And so that’ll be what we try and do,” he added.
Also read: ENG vs PAK: Pakistan Fined For Maintaining Slow Over-Rate Against New Zealand
