New Zealand does it again! In their third consecutive win in the ICC World Cup 2023, the Kiwis defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets in Chennai today. With this, they have now jumped to the top of the points table with six points, while Bangladesh sits right below England in the sixth position.
The New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Bangladesh’s innings started on a troublesome note as the team lost wickets early and was 56 for four in the 13th over. Skipper Shakib Al Hasan, scoring 40 runs from 51 balls, subsequently combined with his experienced teammate Mushfiqur Rahim, who contributed 66 runs from 75 balls. This partnership yielded 96 runs for the fifth wicket as Bangladesh’s total reached 156 by the 30th over. However, Ferguson dismissed Shakib Al Hasan, securing his third wicket of the match. The team ultimately scored 245 for nine. New Zealand, on the other hand, chased the target with 43 balls to spare.
New Zealand’s pursuit of their target got off to an uncertain start when Mustafizur Rahman removed opener Rachin Ravindra early in the innings, placing pressure on the batsmen. However, the team held strong and went on to finish the game with overs to spare.
Skipper Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell scored 78 and 89, respectively.
New Zealand, who were the runner-up in the 2019 World Cup, has so far beat defending champions England and the Netherlands. Next, the Kiwis will be taking on Afghanistan on October 18 in Chennai.