Afghanistan and New Zealand clash here on Sunday in a contest critical for both teams as well as India.

A win for the Kiwis will shut India’s hopes of advancing to the semifinals. An Afghanistan win, on the other hand, if followed by India’s win against Namibia on Monday, will necessitate a verdict based on the net run-rate, as three teams will be on six points each.

New Zealand will head into the match high on confidence after having eased to victory against Namibia on Friday. Jimmy Neesham and Glenn Phillips rose to the occasion after the top-order failed to fire and set up a challenging total which proved too much for the Namibian batters. The Kiwi bowlers’ experience and skills have been on show in the tournament and they would pose problems for the Afghan batters, too.

The Afghanistan batters have come up with consistent performances which have helped the spin-heavy bowling unit go about its job with confidence. But they would be up against an attack that includes Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Adam Milne, apart from the spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner, which has troubled the batters right through the tourney.

If the Afghan batters can put up a sizeable score, then the bowling unit with Rashid Khan at the forefront could be more than a handful. The absence of Mujeeb-ur-Rahman owing to injury could weaken the bowling department.

The Indian team in Dubai and its fans will be praying for a memorable Afghan victory.