New Zealand and India are the only teams who remain unbeaten after playing three matches in the World Cup. The former have a chance at taking the top spot, at least temporarily, when they face Afghanistan on Wednesday. The match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

New Zealand will be wary of the threat that Afghanistan carry going into the match. This is especially because pitches at Chepauk have historically aided spinners. 

Afghanistan boasts two of the most potent proponents of that craft in Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman. These players played a major role in helping Afghanistan stun defending champions England in their last match.

However, New Zealand is in a different kind of form compared to their fellow 2019 World Cup finalists. They have secured five back-to-back wins in ODIs and also have an in-form spinner, Mitchell Santner. 

The Kiwis began their tournament with a nine-wicket win over England. Subsequent matches saw them beat the Netherlands by 99 runs and Bangladesh by eight wickets. Despite captain Kane Williamson being absent, New Zealand achieved their first two victories without him in the ranks.

On the other hand, Afghanistan will be on a high after their win against England. They might draw additional inspiration from the Netherlands, who managed to defeat an in-form South Africa.

 Afghanistan's journey in this tournament began with a six-wicket loss to Bangladesh and an eight-wicket loss to India. Yet, they showed promise in both games. Everything came together against England, with their batting seeing a boost from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz who scored an impressive 80 off 57 balls. 

They ended their innings at 284. In the bowling domain, fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi set the pace, followed by strong performances from Mujeeb and Rashid, both taking three wickets each.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan  Live Stream TV Channels

The viewers can watch New Zealand vs Afghanistan Live Stream in Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 3 and many other networks.

Star Sports Network India is the official broadcaster of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, it sheduled to air the tournament on Star Sports and OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar in India.The list below is showing the broadcasters by County or Territory.

The broadcasting rights for the upcoming event are held by various networks across different territories. Here’s a consolidated view of New Zealand vs Afghanistan Live Stream TV Channels:

Afghanistan: RTA Sports and Ariana TV.

Australia: Foxtel TV, Kayo TV, and Nine Network.

Bangladesh: Gazi TV, T Sports, and BTV.

Canada: Willow TV.

Continental Europe: Yupp TV.

Caribbean Islands: ESPN.

England: Sky Sports Cricket.

Hong Kong: Astro Vinmeen HD and Yupp TV.

India: Star Sports Network and DD Sports.

Central East and North Africa: Etisalat and Starzplday.

New Zealand: Sky Sports and Sky Sports 3.

Nepal: Star Sports Network.

Pakistan: A Sports and PTV Sports.

Pacific Islands: TVWAN Action PAC.

Sri Lanka: Sirasa TV (TV1) and Star Sports Network.

South Africa: SuperSports.

South East Asia: Yupp TV.

Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSports.

Singapore: Astro Vinmeen HD.

United States: Willow TV and Willow TV Xtra.

United Kingdom: Sky Sports Cricket.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan head-to-head in ODIs

The two teams have clashed only twice in ODI cricket, with New Zealand emerging victorious on both occasions. Both these matches were part of World Cup events. The first encounter took place during the 2015 tournament in Napier. New Zealand won by six wickets, but the match was notable for Afghanistan's resilience. The Kiwis took 36.1 overs to chase down a target of 187, losing four wickets in the process.

The subsequent match occurred during the 2019 World Cup in Taunton. New Zealand's victory was more decisive this time around. An unbeaten score of 79 by Williamson enabled the Kiwis to chase down a 173-run target in just 32.1 overs, losing only three wickets.

Team News: Replacement for Williamson

With Williamson sidelined due to injury, Will Young is the frontrunner to fill his shoes in the New Zealand playing XI. He is set to return to the opening position, prompting Rachin Ravindra to possibly shift to the No. 3 role. In Williamson's absence, the captaincy reins will be handed to Tom Latham.

New Zealand (Probable Playing XI):

1. Devon Conway

2. Will Young

3. Rachin Ravindra

4. Tom Latham (capt & wk)

5. Daryl Mitchell

6. Glenn Phillips

7. Mark Chapman

8. Mitchell Santner

9. Mark Henry

10. Lockie Ferguson

11. Trent Boult

On the other hand, Afghanistan, after their convincing win against England, is not expected to make any changes to their lineup.

Afghanistan (Probable Playing XI):

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz

2. Ibrahim Zadran

3. Rahmat Shah

4. Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt)

5. Azmatullah Omarzai

6. Mohammad Nabi

7. Ikram Alikhil (wk)

8. Rashid Khan

9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman

10. Naveen-ul-Haq

11. Fazalhaq Farooqi