World Cup 2023 | New Zealand wins toss, opt to field against England in the first match of ICC Men’s Cricket
World Cup 2023: World Cup 2023: After endless days and nights of suspense and wait, the eagerly anticipated first match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup kicked off on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad with New Zealand won the toss and opted to field in the opening match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup against defending champion England.
New Zealand will step out on the field to take revenge for the Cricket World Cup 2019 final which they had lost in the Super Over.
The first match of much-awaited prestigious cricket World Cup to started at 2 pm IST. The toss started half an hour earlier from the scheduled time.
Meanwhile, the England squad, led by Jos Buttler, may have to face the absence of their star all-rounder, Ben Stokes, due to a hip injury, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their lineup. The New Zealand, with their own captain Kane Williamson still in the process of recovery from a knee injury, will see Tom Latham leading the team in this crucial tournament opener.
New Zealand Squad
Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
England Squad
Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
Also Read: World Cup 2023: Stokes and Williamson 'sidelined' as England and New Zealand clash in opening battle
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup is the culmination of national pride, memorable moments, cricketing heritage and an occasion to celebrate with others, perfectly packaged into one-day global showcase with the 10 competing nations Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka ready for action.
- With inputs from agencies
