BAN vs NZ: New Zealand playing XI vs Bangladesh, 1st ODI, 2023 - Predicted

New Zealand will face Bangladesh for first ODI on Thursday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka.

New Zealand didn't have a great tour of England. They had their moments but couldn't win any series. The T20I series was levelled at 2-2, while they lost the ODI series 1-3. Now, Black Caps will have an Asian challenge ahead of them. They will face Bangladesh in three ODIs just ahead of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

New Zealand have sent their second-string team for the tour and given rest to some of the senior players. But still, the squad has Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, and Kyle Jamieson. So it will be an exciting series. Here is a predicted playing XI for New Zealand in the first ODI.

BAN vs NZ: New Zealand's Predicted playing XI vs Bangladesh

1. Finn Allen :

Finn Allen will be opening the innings for his team. He has done well in patches, but performing on the subcontinent will be a different ball game. Finn is an aggressive opener who has replaced Martin Guptill in the team. He will look to perform in Asian conditions as well.

2. Will Young :

Will Young was part of England tour and played a few games as well. He will be back to open and will look to make an impact. Young is quite a free-flowing batter who has played 19 ODIs and scored 690 runs at a decent average of 43.12. He will look to continue that and help his team put pressure on the hosts.

3. Tom Blundell (wk) :

Tom Blundell played his last ODI for his team when they toured Pakistan earlier this year, in May. He will be back in the business of hitting the ball with power. Blundell has been a regular player in test cricket but hasn't had many chances in white-ball format. But this series will help him make a name for himself.

4. Henry Nicholls :

Henry Nicholls will be the most experienced batter in the Kiwi line-up in this series. He has played 69 ODIs and scored 1817 runs at 34.28, and a lot will depend on how he takes the innings together. He has really good experience and is a technically sound batter in this line-up. So he will look to play the anchor role so that the other batters can play freely.

5. Chad Bowes :

Chad Bowes is another top-order batter on New Zealand side. He is a backup opener but can also bat in the middle-order. Bowes has played four ODIs so far and scored 84 runs. He will look to perform well in this series to get noticed by the selection committee. Bowes is very good against pacers and can hit the spinners long.

6. Dane Cleaver :

Dane Cleaver is the backup keeper on the team, and he can bat anywhere in the batting-order. He made his ODI debut in July 2022 against Scotland and scored 22 runs, and that is the only game he has played. But he will be up against the challenging conditions in Bangladesh. Cleaver has played good enough first-class or List A cricket to do well for his team.

7. Rachin Ravindra :

The batting all-rounder Rachin Ravindra impressed everyone with his performances in the England tour. He was one of the positives for New Zealand in the ODI series. He delivered some game-changing performances with both the bat and ball and will look to continue against Bangladesh. Rachin will be a key player for New Zealand as a finisher.

8. Kyle Jamieson :

The big Kiwi player Kyle Jamieson has been a success for his team in test cricket, but he hasn't taken that into white-ball format. But this series will surely help him to improve. He uses his height to good effect and bowls hard balls. Jamieson can also hit the ball hard at the lower end of the order, which makes him a valuable player.

9. Ish Sodhi :

Ish Sodhi will be the big threat to Bangladesh with his spin. The pitches here will help the spinners, and Sodhi is the only specialist spinner in New Zealand side. His record in Asia is pretty good, and he is expected to deliver good performances. The leg spinner has the ability to restrict the batters and take wickets in the middle-overs, which makes him difficult to play.

10. Trent Boult :

Trent Boult will be the biggest threat for Bangladesh. If somehow the hosts can survive his opening spells and don't lose early wickets, then only they can post or chase big target. Boult has the ability to swing the ball a long way, and his left-arm action makes it difficult for the batters. Boult has played 11 matches against Bangladesh and has 18 wickets to his name.

11. Lockie Ferguson (C) :

Lockie Ferguson is picked to lead New Zealand side in this series. Ferguson is the fastest bowler in both teams and can hit the pace over 150 km/h regularly, which makes him a lethal bowler to face. He can knock quick wickets, and that will be a threat for Bangladeshi batters.