NZ vs AFG Dream11 prediction: 3 differentials you can pick in today’s World Cup 2023 match – 18th Oct, 2023

New Zealand and Afghanistan will go head-to-head in the 16th match of the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup on Wednesday, October 18, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

It has been a week of upsets, with two heavyweights losing in a space of three matches. Afghanistan's routing of the defending champions England in Delhi really ignited the tournament and opened up the points table. Hasmatullah Shahidi's side put in a really impressive performance with a fearless batting display and some inspired bowling.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was really unlucky to miss out on a ton after he was run out for a 57-ball 80. Despite a slump in the middle overs, Ikram Alikhil, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb did enough to get them to a respectable total, before their bowling attack delivered in unison.

As for New Zealand, they've registered three wins on the trot, and have looked unperturbed, never getting to a position where they've lost control of the match. Kane Williamson got injured in his comeback match and will, unfortunately, have to face a spell on the sidelines for a couple of weeks.

They'll still back themselves to beat Afghanistan, albeit a bit wary of the possibility of another upset.

Let's now look at three differentials you can select for your Dream11 teams from this match.

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#3 Lockie Ferguson (NZ)

New Zealand's pace ace Lockie Ferguson found plenty of assistance from the Chepauk wicket against Bangladesh. He'll hope for more of the same when the Kiwis take on an Afghanistan side riding high on confidence.

Real pace is a weapon against teams like Afghanistan who may not have had much practice facing such bowlers. Thus, New Zealand will look to Ferguson to deliver some crucial breakthroughs for them, especially against Gurbaz and their lower middle-order hitters.

It's surprising to see Ferguson's ownership fairly low even after his three-wicket haul against Bangladesh. But, there's a good chance because Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry's performances have overshadowed his.

Nevertheless, he stands a good chance of picking up more than two to three wickets in this clash and is a worthy differential pick.

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#2 Rahmat Shah (AFG)

Will Rahmat Shah score his second half-century of the year in this match?

Afghanistan's No. 3 batter Rahmat Shah has had a pretty poor year with the bat, scoring only 223 runs in 12 matches, averaging a mere 18.6. They'll want one of their most reliable and rock-solid batters to apply himself well against a testing Blackcaps attack.

Rahmat has been a mainstay for Afghanistan for quite a while and has scored 23 half-centuries and five hundreds in a career that has spanned more than 10 years. It has been Hasmatullah Shahidi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz who have been doing all the heavy lifting in the middle order for Afghanistan at this World Cup.

With Ikram Alikhil also getting among the runs in the last match, they'll want their most crucial position in ODI cricket, the No. 3, to deliver in this fixture. While he'll have his task cut out against a top bowling side like NZ, Rahmat Shah has the pedigree and the opportunity to haul big in this match and is a high-risk, high-reward differential pick.

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#1 Tom Latham (NZ)

Tom Latham may not relish the prospect of retaking the onus of captaincy only one game after Kane Williamson returned to the side, but such is the cruel nature of sport sometimes. The stand-in Kiwi skipper has been one of their best servants across formats, and he'll be key to their success in this match too.

Latham should pick up points for his wicketkeeping, with catches and stumping chances likely to fall aplenty today. Against a quality Afghanistan bowling line-up on a surface that supports them, the Blackcaps will be tested, and there's a good chance he's called upon to bat.

Latham has a good ODI record in India, and he scored a half-century against the Netherlands in the only batting opportunity he has had at the World Cup so far. His low ownership is understandable, given the presence of Conway and Gurbaz in the same bracket, but picking him as a differential could really swing the rewards your way.