3 players who starred and 2 who flopped for India in the World Cup 2023 match vs New Zealand ft. Kuldeep Yadav & Virat Kohli

Team India maintained their undefeated run in the 2023 World Cup as they beat New Zealand by four wickets in a tightly fought encounter at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday, October 22.

Coming into the contest, both India and New Zealand had eight points from four games. While the Kiwis had a better net run rate prior to the game, the hosts held their nerve in a tricky chase to get over the line with two overs to spare and leapfrog their opponents in the standings.

A lot of good performances decorated India's charge to the summit, while there were also a couple of players who weren't at their best in Dharamsala.

On that note, here are three players who starred and two who flopped for Team India in their World Cup 2023 match against New Zealand.

---

#5 Star - Ravindra Jadeja

India's star all-rounder stepped up in Hardik Pandya's absence

It didn't seem like Ravindra Jadeja would feature on such a list. His day started with him dropping a sitter that would've sent back Rachin Ravindra early on in his innings, and the southpaw made the most of the reprieve by compiling a superb half-century.

However, Jadeja's day improved. He sent down a tidy spell, conceding just 48 runs in 10 overs. The southpaw then essayed a crucial hand in the chase, stitching together a match-winning partnership with Virat Kohli and contributing 39 invaluable runs in the process.

Jadeja hit the winning runs off Matt Henry, and it's safe to say that he stepped up in the all-rounder department in Hardik Pandya's absence.

---

#4 Flop - Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav's run-out put India under serious pressure

Speaking of Hardik, the man who replaced him at No. 6 couldn't impact proceedings much. And the reason why was wholly avoidable.

Suryakumar Yadav, playing his first World Cup game, was run out for just two runs following a mix-up with Virat Kohli. Should SKY have waited for the ball to cross the fielder? Would Kohli have made it home anyway?

It seemed like there was a run on offer, and it definitely wasn't exclusively Kohli's call. Irrespective of who was at fault for the error, Suryakumar's dismissal left India under immense pressure. They still needed 83 runs at the time of the run-out with only one recognized batting pair left.

---

#3 Star - Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli was India's top scorer once again

What more can you write about Virat Kohli? The big man stepped up on the big stage once again, and while he didn't reach the three-figure mark despite his best efforts, he came up with another larger-than-life performance.

Kohli was in complete control throughout his innings and imposed his will on the New Zealand bowlers whenever he wanted to. He rotated strike beautifully and paced the chase to perfection following Suryakumar's untimely dismissal.

Kohli also held two good catches in the first innings, capping off another special showing in the World Cup.

---

#2 Flop - Kuldeep Yadav

India's star spinner couldn't keep the runs in check

Kuldeep Yadav has been one of India's best bowlers in ODIs this calendar year, but he had a rare poor outing on Sunday.

Kuldeep was attacked by the New Zealand batters, especially Daryl Mitchell. He was hit for four sixes in his 10 overs and couldn't give his captain the kind of middle-overs control he has come to expect.

Kuldeep improved as the game progressed and returned to pick up two wickets, but he wasn't at his absolute best in Dharamsala. He should've varied his pace more and pulled his lengths back in the first half of his spell.

---

#1 Star - Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami picked up five wickets for India

Mohammed Shami's comeback tale was one of the highlights of India's World Cup 2023 encounter against New Zealand. Included in the playing XI to make up for Hardik Pandya's contributions to the bowling department, the fast bowler came up with a superb display.

Shami grabbed one important wicket in the powerplay before returning to break a mammoth partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell. He was impeccable at the death for the most part, hitting his yorkers and getting the ball to tail back into the batters.

Shami finished with five wickets to his name, breaking a slew of ODI and World Cup records in the process. It'll be tough to leave him out going forward.