Proteas legend Herschelle Gibbs is not hiding the fact that he fancies the chances of New Zealand at this T20 World Cup.
The Kiwis have got off to the perfect start with big wins over Afghanistan and New Zealand respectively.
In their first outing, NZ beat the Afghans by five wickets with 13 balls remaining after chasing down an imposing 183 for victory with relative ease.
However, it was against minnows United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday when NZ were at their ruthless best. Set a challenging 174 for victory, NZ were flawless in their chase as they won with almost five overs to spare and they didn’t lose a wicket either.
New Zealand’s Start to T20 World Cup Makes a Statement
“Statement made by the Kiwis…said they were well prepared,” said Gibbs on X after the game.
NZ are also in Group D alongside South Africa, and moved ahead of the Proteas with their win. However, if the Proteas beat Afghanistan on Wednesday, they will regain top spot.
Still, it seems the clash between NZ and SA will determine which side finishes top spot in the group. That match will take place on Saturday in Ahmedabad, the third in a row for South Africa at the venue.
Gibbs was also clearly invested in the Afghanistan-SA match, as he posted a number of times about the contest, most notably applauding the use of the slower ball of Lungi Ngidi, which helped the Proteas break a menacing opening partnership.
South Africa reached the final of the previous edition of the competition, but their match against New Zealand will probably be the best indicator of their title credentials before the Super Eight stage.
@Michael_Sherman
IOL Sport
