India and New Zealand are currently unbeaten in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. This Sunday, they will face each other in a high-stakes match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. While the cricketing world eagerly awaits this showdown, there’s one variable that could potentially disrupt the proceedings: the weather.

IND vs NZ Weather Update pic.twitter.com/C7NSnGIe2r
— Akash Kharade (@cricaakash) October 21, 2023

Unbeaten Titans Clash

India has been a dominant force in the tournament, winning all four of their previous matches. In their most recent victory against Bangladesh, they triumphed by 7 wickets with 51 balls to spare, all thanks to a brilliant century by Virat Kohli. New Zealand, too, is riding high, with an unblemished record in the tournament.

Much like India, the Blackcaps have made it four in four and will be aiming to continue their fine run over India in ICC events. Remarkably, New Zealand hasn’t lost to India in an ICC event since 2003. With such an impressive track record, the clash promises fireworks on the field.

Weather Report: Rain Threat Looms

The weather forecast for the day of the match raises concerns. According to Accuweather and other sources, the sky over Dharamsala is expected to be cloudy with a high chance of precipitation. The temperature is predicted to hover around 18°C, with winds flowing towards the south and southwest at 9 km/hr. There are also reports of expected thunderstorms in certain parts of Dharamsala during the afternoon of the match. Weather.com has also provided a similar update with rain expected at the toss time of 1:30 PM IST.

In case of a washout due to rain, both teams will receive one point each as per the ICC conditions for the World Cup 2023. So far, both India and New Zealand’s matches have remained unaffected by rain, but the weather in Dharamsala remains a concern.

Full Squads

India Squad: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami

New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w/c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, James Neesham