ICC World Cup 2023: Kane & Co look to extend winning run v B’desh

Kane Williamson

In 2013, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) delivered a Rs 227cr hit Chennai Express. The team of Amitabh Bhattacharya, Vishal Shekhar, and the late SP Balasubramaniam were responsible for belting out the chartbusting title track for the movie. The chorus of the track goes, Ticket khareed ke, Baith ja seat pe, Nikal na jaaye kahin Chennai Express.

The clinical manner in which the Black Caps have won their first two World Cup encounters, it looks highly unlikely that they will miss anything in Chennai.

Four years later in 2017, another SRK blockbuster titled Raees, was released. It has a famous dialogue, "Baniye ka dimaag aur Miyanbhai ki daring." This applies perfectly to the Black Caps who so far in this World Cup with their sharp minds, have out-thought their opponents and played fearless cricket, resulting in two comprehensive victories.

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Selection-wise, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi must be in the reckoning for Chennai. Skipper Kane Williamson is fully fit and makes a return after knee surgery, it looks like Mark Chapman will have to make way for him. Tim Southee is also shaping up nicely and is yet another experienced campaigner should the need arise.

So, what's in store for them in the cauldron of Chennai against Bangladesh? Going by what we saw in the India versus Australia game, the hot conditions are probably going to be the harshest that the Black Caps face. The pitch is expected to be a typical Chennai wicket - slow and low with plenty of turn. The high humidity and dew in Chennai are other important factors to consider while deciding to bat or bowl first.

The Black Caps have two current local Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lads in Mitchell Santner and Devon Conway in their ranks. Both know the Chennai pitch and conditions like the back of their hand, and I am sure in the coming days both will play a crucial role in every team meeting. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming too has spent some valuable time with the team as a consultant and I hear that he too has passed on his inputs to the team.

The Black Caps have had a terrific start to their World Cup campaign and as long as they don't get complacent, they should remain undefeated at the end of the Chennai leg (with the game against Afghanistan). If that happens, then I'm sure the DJ will be belting out yet another chartbuster from the movie Chennai Express i.e. "1, 2, 3, 4… get on the dance floor" to celebrate their four wins in a row and maintaining their top-of-the-table position.