New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Match Details, Live Streaming, Pitch Report, Weather Forecast, Probable Playing XIs, Head-to-Head, Dream 11 Prediction

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka: After securing a convincing 2-0 victory in the One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand is set to shift focus to the shortest format. The White Ferns will face Sri Lanka in a three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series, starting on Friday, March 14, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

New Zealand Team Preview

New Zealand demonstrated their superiority by securing a convincing 2-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the three-match ODI series. Now, as the White Ferns gear up for the upcoming three-match T20I series against the same opponents, they will be aiming to continue their dominant form in the shortest format of the game. The team is eager to assert their strength and maintain their winning momentum against the Lankans.

Sri Lanka Team Preview

The Sri Lankan women’s cricket team is gearing up for a formidable challenge as they prepare to face the reigning champions of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup on their home turf. This upcoming series marks New Zealand’s first T20I assignment since their triumphant victory over South Africa in the finals of the prestigious tournament held in Dubai. Sri Lanka failed to qualify beyond the group stage in the Women’s T20 World Cup. They suffered defeats in all four of their games against Pakistan, Australia, India, and New Zealand.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Match Details

Date and Time: 14th March, Friday, 11:45 AM IST

Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch 

Live Streaming: FanCode/Amazon Prime Video/SonyLiv app and website

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Pitch Report

Hagley Oval is expected to provide a good batting surface, with an average score in the 140s. While batters will enjoy the conditions, pacers will also find assistance, making it an exciting contest between bat and ball.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Weather Report

The weather in Christchurch is expected to be ideal for cricket, with no rain interruptions forecast. The temperature will hover around 16°C with partly cloudy skies, light winds, and humidity at 83%.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Probable Playing XIs

New Zealand Predicted XI: Suzie Bates(c), Maddy Green, Georgia Plimmer, Emma McLeod, Izzy Sharp, Brooke Halliday, Jess Kerr, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas, Rosemary Mair, Polly Inglis, Flora Devonshire, Bree Illing

Sri Lanka Predicted XI: Chamari Athapaththu(c), Anushka Sanjeewani, Kaushani Nuthyangana, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Rajapaksha Gunaratne, Nilakshi de Silva, Imesha Dulani, Kavisha Dilhari, Manudi Nanayakkara, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Sachini Nisansala

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Head-to-Head Records

New Zealand and Sri Lanka, the head-to-head records show that White-ferns have won 13 out of the 14 matches played, while Sri Lanka Women have secured 1 victories.

Prediction: New Zealand to win the match.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Key Players

New Zealand

Georgia Plimmer: The 22-year-old opening batter has played 30 T20I innings, amassing 396 runs at a strike rate of 98.01. She was New Zealand’s second-highest run-scorer in their triumphant T20 World Cup campaign, scoring 150 runs from six matches at a strike rate of 119.04. Having returned from injury with scores of 28 and 112 in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, Plimmer will be a key figure in the batting lineup.

Rosemary Mair: The 26-year-old pacer has taken 28 wickets in 29 T20I innings, maintaining an economy rate of 6.38, with a best of 4/19. She was instrumental in New Zealand’s T20 World Cup campaign, scalping 10 wickets from six matches at an impressive economy rate of 5.08. Mair enters the series on the back of a successful 2024-25 domestic season and will be a vital component of the White Ferns’ bowling attack.

Sri Lanka

Harshitha Samarawickrama: With 1,514 runs in 65 T20I innings at an average of 29.68, the 26-year-old opening batter is a key player for Sri Lanka. Though she struggled in the T20 World Cup, Samarawickrama found form in the ODI series, scoring an unbeaten 66 in the opener and following it up with a 59 in the second match. Her performance will be crucial for Sri Lanka’s chances in the T20Is.

Kavisha Dilhari: The 24-year-old all-rounder has made valuable contributions with both bat and ball, scoring 522 runs at a strike rate of 102.95 while claiming 51 wickets in 64 T20I outings. Though she has been going through a lean patch in T20Is, her performances in the ODI series—scoring 25 and 45, along with a wicket—suggest she could be a key player for Sri Lanka in this series.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Dream 11 Prediction

Wicketkeeper:- Anushka Sanjeewani

Batters:- Harshitha Samarawickrama, Maddy Green, Georgia Plimmer

All-Rounders:- Suzie Bates, Kavisha Dilhari, Jess Kerr (c), Chamari Athapaththu (vc)

Bowlers:- Sugandika Kumari, Rosemary Mair, Eden Carson

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I – Full Squad

New Zealand Squad: Izzy Sharp, Suzie Bates(c), Georgia Plimmer, Emma McLeod, Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Polly Inglis(w), Jess Kerr, Eden Carson, Fran Jonas, Rosemary Mair, Bree Illing, Flora Devonshire

Sri Lanka Squad: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu(c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Imesha Dulani, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Anushka Sanjeewani(w), Sachini Nisansala, Sugandika Kumari, Achini Kulasuriya, Chethana Vimukthi, Manudi Nanayakkara, Rashmika Sewwandi, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Kaushani Nuthyangana