On Sunday, October 22nd, the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala will witness an exciting clash between two undefeated teams in the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup – India and New Zealand.
The match promises to be an exciting sight, with a thrilling duel expected between New Zealand’s quick bowlers and India’s potent batting squad.
New Zealand has historically shown to be a strong opponent for Team India, particularly in ICC competitions. India’s struggle against New Zealand extends back to the 2003 World Cup, and they have not to win an ICC competition against them since.
Adding to India’s difficulties, they have only two days off after their recent victory over Bangladesh, all while dealing with the unavailability of Hardik Pandya.
Here are India’s top five ODI World Cup run scorers against New Zealand:
5. Ajay Jadeja
At the 1992 and 1999 World Cups, the middle-order batter appeared in two matches between India and New Zealand. He was a significant performer for India in these matches as well as against New Zealand, scoring 89 runs. In these encounters, his best score was 76.
Jadeja’s natural agility, dynamic racing between the wickets, and bold power-hitting were the ideal combination for one-day international cricket. He had a couple of crucial innings for India in World Cup matches.
4. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar, considered one of India’s greatest cricketers, played a crucial role in the team’s World Cup campaigns in 2003 and 2011. He consistently scored runs for the side and emerged as their top scorer in both those tournaments.
He played three innings in three matches against New Zealand, scoring 115 runs at an average of 38. He just has one half-century to his name and had a strike rate of 79.31.
3. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev, the captain who led India to victory in the 1983 World Cup, was a standout performer for his team. He consistently made significant contributions with both the bat and ball. One of his most memorable innings was his legendary knock of 175 against Zimbabwe. Additionally, Kapil displayed remarkable consistency when playing against New Zealand.
Kapil scored 130 runs at an average of 65 in four World Cup matches against New Zealand. In these encounters, his best score is an undefeated 72.
2. Mohammed Azharuddin
Mohammed Azharuddin, another former India captain who thrived in home conditions, was an artist with the bat in his day. He was excellent on true hitting strips, as seen by numerous of his hits.
He scored 147 runs at an average of 49 in four World Cup innings against New Zealand. In these matches, his best score was 55. His strike rate in these games, however, was a pretty poor 59.
1. Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar became identified with Indian cricket after convincing the country that it, too, could compete with the big boys and succeed. He scored 172 runs at an average of 57.33 in four World Cup matches against New Zealand.
Sunil Gavaskar scored one century and one half-century in these matches, with the best score being an unbroken 103.
