NZ host WI in ODI series opener: Preview and stats
What's the story
New Zealand will take on the West Indies in the first ODI of the three-match series on November 16. The match will be played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The Kiwis would be high on confidence, having secured a dominant 3-0 series win over England in their last ODI assignment. They also won the recent T20I series against West Indies. Here is the preview of the series opener.
Team update
West Indies's recent performance
The West Indies, on the other hand, are coming off a 2-1 ODI series loss to Bangladesh. Despite having quality bowlers like in the in-form Jayden Seales, their bowling attack is relatively inexperienced in terms of the current squad and will be facing the Kiwis. Captain Shai Hope will look to lead his team from the front in this series opener.
Pitch
How will the pitch behave?
As mentioned, the series opener will be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. The pitch here is known for its true bounce, making it a good surface for batting. A total around 280 can challenge the chasing side. The weather forecast doesn't predict any rain, so the match proceedings are likely to go on as planned. Meanwhile, game is scheduled to start at 6:30am IST.
Match preview
Head-to-head record and pitch conditions
As per ESPNcricinfo, New Zealand and West Indies have faced each other in 68 ODIs, with the former winning 30 times and the latter 31. The remaining seven games ended without a result. On home soil, the Kiwis have 19 wins and 10 defeats against the Men in Maroon in the ODI format. Notably, the series opener will be WI's maiden away ODI against NZ since 2017.
Team line-up
Probable playing XI for both teams
New Zealand (Probable XI): Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, and Matt Henry. West Indies (Probable XI): Alick Athanaze, Ackeem Auguste, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (c & wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Justin Greaves, Khary Pierre, Shamar Springer, and Jayden Seales.
Player stats
Here are the key performers
With 554 runs at an average of 46.16, Keacy Carty is WI's leading run-getter in ODI cricket this year. Shai Hope trails Carty in this regard with 508 runs while averaging a stunning 50.80. Rachin Ravindra (530 at 48.18) and Daryl Mitchell (642 at 49.38) have also been among massive runs in ODIs this year. Matt Henry has been in the form of his life, claiming 26 ODI wickets in 2025 at 16.34 across 10 games.
Poll
