West Indies vs New Zealand 1st T20I: Current Form Favours New Zealand

• West Indies have won only three of their last 11 T20I matches
• New Zealand have won all of their last seven T20I encounters
• The Kiwis have not lost a T20I game against West Indies since 2014

West Indies vs New Zealand Odds

Odds for this match taken from bet365

West Indies vs New Zealand Pick

New Zealand holds the upper hand when it comes to head-to-head records. They have won nine T20I matches against the West Indies, while the Caribbean boys have had the last laugh on only five occasions. Current form also favours them!

New Zealand to Win (-175)

Pick made on 08/09/2022 at 07:35 PM EST

Predicted XI

West Indies: Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (c), Devon Thomas (wk), Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Dominic Drakes, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh.

 New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Philipps, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson.

West Indies vs New Zealand Prediction

West Indies Aim to Regain Lost Ground in t20is as New Zealand Look To Extend Streak

West Indies will take on New Zealand in the first of the three-match T20I series on Thursday, 11th August (according to IST). The match will be played at the Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

West Indies might be known as a powerhouse in this particular format, but they have not justified their tag in recent weeks. In their last 11 T20I matches, the men from the Caribbean have secured only three wins. Nicholas Pooran’s team was recently up against India in a five-match T20I series. While they did play good cricket in spells, they were mostly inconsistent and ended up losing the series 4-1.

On the other hand, New Zealand have been on a roll in this format, as they have won all of their last seven T20I matches. However, it also has to be noted that their wins came against comparatively much weaker opponents – Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. In their last T20I series against a top eight side, which was against India in November 2021, the Kiwis were whitewashed 3-0.

Team News

Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Philipps, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson.

West Indies are likely to have faith in the players that took on India, despite the result. They are likely to field a couple of spinners in Hayden Walsh Jr and Akeal Hosein, whereas their pace contingent is likely to feature Obed McCoy and Dominic Drakes. Jason Holder, Odean Smith and Rovman Powell are likely to play a crucial role in this series, given that they can be used both with the bat and with the ball. In terms of their batting department, the likes of Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer will need to bring their ‘A’ game to the fore against the Kiwis.

Like West Indies, New Zealand also boast of quite a few quality all-rounders, and hence, they too could field four specialist bowlers – two spinners in Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner, and two pacers in Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson. Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham could combine to play out the role of finishers, as well as the fifth bowler. Youngster Finn Allen could be given a chance in the batting order, while the likes of Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell are also likely to feature.

Key Players

Obed McCoy: Though almost all of West Indies’ bowlers struggled against the Indians, Obed McCoy was a much-needed exception. He scalped nine wickets, which is the most by any bowler from his team, and also maintained an impressive average of 19.33. As for his career T20I statistics, the 25-year-old pacer has scalped 31 wickets in 21 matches, with his economy rate being slightly over 8 runs per over and his average being under 20.

Mitchell Santner: Mitchell Santner is coming into this series with form on his side. Captaining the team in the two T20I matches against the Netherlands, the all-rounder scored 84 runs without getting dismissed in any of those two games, while he also scalped one wicket in the first match.

Santner has played 69 T20I matches for New Zealand, in which he has scalped 72 wickets at an average of less than 25 and an economy rate of less than 8 runs per over. While his bowling is certainly his forte, Santner has also scored 444 runs in this format at a strike rate of nearly 130.

How to Watch West Indies vs New Zealand