T20 World Match Prediction: India Versus New Zealand 28th Match. Who Will Win?

India and New Zealand enter this ICC 2021 T20 World Cup match with a spot in a semi-final up for grabs. Yes, Afghanistan are more than capable of beating either side on their day, but it is likely that the winner of this game will be playing in a semi-final after the group stage. So, who do we think will go on to win this important match? All will be revealed in the next five minutes or so.

India Team Preview

India's top order were blown away by the brilliant Shaheen Afridi in their match against Pakistan, but there were a number of positives from a disappointing defeat. Virat Kohli showed us all once again the class act that he is, and the last six half-centuries for India have been scored by him. Additionally, Rishab Pant batted quite well while the lower order showed a bit of energy too.

There has been some talks about Ishan Kishan being given his chance in this game, but we do not think that this will happen. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are their best openners and this does not change just because they had one poor match. We expect that Pant, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya should keep their spot in the XI.

We feel that betting on Kohli and Rahul to score runs in this game is the way to go. Look at the Over/Under market for their individual score or place a bet on them to hit a half-century.

The main concern for India will be their bowling because it did look pretty blunt against Pakistan. It will be very surprising to see if Bhuvaneshwar Kumar keeps his spot in the team. When there is no swing on offer, he is easy for opposing batsmen to pick off. We think that Shardul Thakur will replace him. It is unlikely that India will make any other changes to the XI, although Ravi Ashwin or Rahul Chahar being replaced by Varun Chakravarthy is a good option. If Thakur is playing, then you might want to consider him for the Top Bowler market.

New Zealand Team Preview

New Zealand put in a very good effort against Pakistan in Sharjah, which is a venue that is probably the most spin-friendly one in the competition. It was just some late order hitting from Asif Ali and Shoaib Malik's experience that helped Pakistan take the two points on offer.

In this next game against India, we think that we will see some different tactics from the Kiwis. They will use Trent Boult and Tim Southee to try and rip out India's top order early on. Will Boult be able to do what Shaheen did in the first match? If you think that it can happen, then you might want to bet on it. However, we do not think this will happen though since Boult was not at his best in the IPL and has struggled a bit as of late.

Ish Sodhi and Mitch Santner scripted the Kiwis' win over India at the 2019 World Cup. This is going to be fresh in the minds of the New Zealand analysts, and they will probably bowl to their favourable match-ups. However, we think that they might find it a bit tough against the likes of Yadav, Pant, and Pandya as they are very good players of spin.

New Zealand's batting lineup will be led by Devon Conway and Kane Williamson and they will try to hold the New Zealand lineup together while the likes of Martin Guptill and Jimmy Neesham will attack. If you are looking for someone to bet on for the Top Batsman market, then consider Conway or Williamson.

Toss Prediction

The captain that wins the toss will want to field first and this should be looked at as a huge advantage. At the time of writing, the team that has chased has won every game at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Pitch Conditions

The conditions will be good for cricket. Throughout the tournament, Dubai has served up some good batting wickets where scores of about 150 have been chased. In the second innings the dew will come down and this really does make things a lot easier for the team that is chasing. When there is dew, the bowlers find it harder to grip the ball properly and the batsmen can hit through the line a lot better.

Our Match Prediction

Our money is on India to go ahead and win the match. The reason we have gone for this is because the conditions that are on offer will favour them a bit more than they will favour New Zealand. India were the pre-tournament favourites, and we do not think this should change after one poor performance. To date, we have seen Pakistan beat India in World Cup cricket for the first time, West Indies lost to England for the first time in a match in the T20 World Cup, and now we think India will beat New Zealand for the first time in a T20 World Cup.

Our match prediction: India to win