New Zealand vs Sri Lanka | NZ vs SL Live Score Updates, ICC World Cup 2023: Injury Scare for Maheesh Theekshana as he Takes a Nasty Blow – The Economic Times

The Kiwis face a Sri Lankan team in tumult at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, with qualification to the top four on the line after Australia sealed their spot in the semi finals on Tuesday.

This will be both teams’ last group game, with Sri Lanka in eighth place in the table and needing a win to ensure they’re safe to progress to the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. New Zealand, on the other hand, will need to win to ensure they make it to the final four. While a loss will not push them out of the top four, other results might cause the Kiwis some trouble.

Sri Lanka come into the game on the back of three consecutive losses, with one of them – the match against India – seeing them lose by a record 302 run margin that led the country’s sports minister to sack the governing body, Sri Lanka Cricket.

New Zealand are also shaky coming into the match, having lost their last four games against Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and India.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand have faced each other 101 times in the 50-over format, with the Kiwis coming up on top 51 times, while the Lankans won 41 with one match tied and the other eight turning out no results.

Rachin Ravindra and Kane WIlliamson come into the game on red-hot form, with the young Kiwi having scored a century in their last game against Pakistan while captain Kane came close to a 100 of his own. The Kiwis managed to put up a 400-run total in that game which was overturned by Pakistan after rain forced the game to be decided by the DLS method.

Sri Lanka are in much worse shape, failing to defend a 279 run total against an abysmal Bangladesh, with bowlers Kasun Rajitha and Dilshan Madushanka being particularly expensive, with the former not taking any wickets in his spell.

Squads

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka