New Zealand reached the semi-final after being the table toppers of group 1 in the ICC T20 World Cup, having won 3, lost 1 and 1 No Result, they gathered 7 points with a superior Net Run Rate compared to second-placed England and third-placed Australia, who also had a similar number of points.
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Pakistan, on the other hand, booked their spot thanks to the results of other teams in group 2, they finished 2nd behind India after Netherlands knocked out South Africa. Pakistan beat Bangladesh in a virtual quarterfinal to reach the semis. New Zealand and Pakistan will clash for the first time in this edition of the T20 World Cup, but have faced each other 28 times in the shortest format on international stage, including 6 meetings in the World Cup.
Head-to-Head
In the 28 meetings so far, Pakistan hold the edge with 17 wins as opposed to New Zealand’s 11.
In the 6 T20 World Cup meetings, Pakistan has won 4 times, while New Zealand has won twice.
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New Zealand has never beaten Pakistan in a world-cup semi-final. In three past encounters, in 1992, 1999, and 2007, Pakistan have has the better of the black caps.
Recent record
The two sides played against each other on the eve of the World Cup in a Tri-Nation Series that also included Bangladesh. Pakistan beat New Zealand in the final to seal that series. Now, a month later, they are set to clash in the all-important Semi-Finals.
Top 3 players to watch out for (New Zealand)
Glenn Phillips
Glenn Phillips always gives his 100% on the field, be it he’s batting, bowling or fielding. At 25, he’s the second-youngest member of the Black Caps’ Twenty20 World Cup squad, but he’s been their brightest star during their run to the semifinals in Australia. Phillips has scored 195 runs in five matches and has also taken the catch of the tournament so far. He will be key in the battle with Pakistan in the Semi-Finals on Wednesday.
Mitchell Santner
Santner bowls left-arm orthodox spin and also is a very handy left-handed batter down the order. He has been New Zealand’s best spinner in the last few years and has always stood up for the team when required. Santner picked up 8 wickets in the T20 World Cup so far and his best performance came against Australia in the Super 12 opener, where he scalped 3 wickets for 31 runs. The 30-year-old has scored 31 runs so far and was unbeaten twice in this World Cup.
Trent Boult
Trent Boult is one of the key bowlers in T20I for New Zealand, he has troubled top batsmen in recent times. Boult has put up some valuable performances in this T20 World Cup, he has picked up 6 wickets so far in the tournament. The left-arm pacers ended up with career-best figures of four for 13 in four overs against Sri Lanka in the 2nd game of the T20 World Cup. Although he went wicketless in the next two matches, one can expect him to come back with a bang in the Semi-Finals against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Read More: Pakistan vs New Zealand semi-final is going to be very intriguing: Nikhil Chopra
