India are in all likeliness expected to face New Zealand in the first semifinal of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
The Rohit Sharma-led side will finish the league stage at the top of the points table and in the last-four stage, take the fourth-placed side which New Zealand currently occupy.
India faced New Zealand in the league stage last month and got the better of them for the first time in an ICC tournament after 20 years.
Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts.
New Zealand have finished the league stage with five wins and four defeats while India have won all eight matches so far with their batters and bowlers firing in unison.
Former England pacer Steve Harmison though thinks that New Zealand are one team India will be least happy to play against in the semifinals.
“A quality side like New Zealand, you can never write them off,” Harmison said on ESPNcricinfo. “Out of the three teams that are in the semi-finals with India, I’ve got a funny feeling that they are the one team that India wouldn’t want to play because they have character. They are all coming back to fitness.”
Harmison added despite India’s excellent show far, the pressure will be on them but it’s something their players are used to.
“I wouldn’t say they are all in prime form. But on the big stage, India and New Zealand have been here before. All the pressure is now on India. Indian cricketers are used to playing under pressure so I don’t think that will harm them too much. If India had one side they didn’t want to play in the semi-final, it would be New Zealand,” Harmison said.
India are eyeing their third ODI World Cup title and given the way they have dismantled their opponents so far in the competition, the Rohit Sharma-led side will be fancying their chances to end a decade-long wait for an ICC trophy.
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