England vs New Zealand, ICC World Cup
                     England vs New Zealand, ICC World Cup 2023 
opener
IN THE ICC WORLD CUP 2023 OPENER ON THURSDAY, REIGNING CHAMPIONS ENGLAND 
WILL TAKE ON THE RUNNERS-UP OF THE PREVIOUS TOURNAMENT, NEW ZEALAND. THE ICC 
ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL (ODI) WORLD CUP WILL CONTINUE WHERE IT LEFT OFF ON 
THURSDAY WHEN DEFENDING CHAMPIONS ENGLAND TAKES ON LAST YEAR'S RUNNERS-UP 
NEW ZEALAND IN THE OPENING MATCH OF THE TOURNAMENT. IN 2019, THE DEFENDING 
WORLD CHAMPIONS ENGLAND FACED UP AGAINST THE BLACK CAPS IN THE GRANDEST OF 
FINALS AT THE HISTORIC LORD'S. EVEN AFTER THE SUPER OVER, THERE WAS STILL NO 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO TEAMS AFTER THE SUMMIT MATCH ENDED IN A TIE.
ENGLAND WON THE 50-OVER COMPETITION FOUR YEARS AGO FOR THE FIRST TIME, THANKS 
TO THE BOUNDARY COUNTBACK RULE. AT THE 134,000-SEAT NARENDRA MODI STADIUM IN 
INDIA, NEW ZEALAND WILL PLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE CONTENTIOUS WORLD CUP 
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH AGAINST ENGLAND. EOIN MORGAN, THE WORLD CUP CHAMPION 
CAPTAIN, HAS ALREADY LEFT THE FORMAT, BUT VETERAN ALL-ROUNDER BEN STOKES WAS 
RECRUITED TO THE TEAM AFTER REVERSING HIS RETIREMENT.
STOKES WON'T PLAY IN THE TOURNAMENT'S OPENING MATCH AGAINST NEW 
ZEALAND.
STOKES GAVE ENGLAND THE GAME-WINNING GOAL IN THE THRILLING WORLD CUP FINAL OF 
2019. ENGLAND CAPTAIN JOS BUTTLER SAID THAT STOKES IS QUESTIONABLE FOR THE 
OPENING MATCH OF THE ICC WORLD CUP 2023 AGAINST THE KIWIS BECAUSE THE ALL-
ROUNDER HAS A HIP AILMENT. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGLISHMAN WAS ABSENT FROM THE 
LAST TRAINING SESSION HELD IN AHMEDABAD BY THE REIGNING WORLD CHAMPIONS. TIM 
SOUTHEE, A SPEED DEMON, AND CAPTAIN KANE WILLIAMSON WON'T BE AVAILABLE FOR NEW 
ZEALAND.
READ ALSO: ICC WORLD CUP 2023 TEAM LIST FULL PLAYERS LIST OF ALL TEAMS
FORM GUIDE (LAST FIVE COMPLETED MATCHES)
IN ITS LAST 10 MATCHES WITH THE KIWIS, WORLD CHAMPION ENGLAND HAS WON FOUR 
TIMES AND LOST FIVE TIMES. THE EUROPEAN JUGGERNAUTS HAD SUFFERED FIVE WORLD 
CUP DEFEATS TO THE KIWIS BEFORE TO ENGLAND'S VICTORY OVER THEM IN THE GROUP-
STAGE ENCOUNTER IN CHESTER-LE-STREET IN 2019. THE LAST TIME NEW ZEALAND 
DEFEATED ENGLAND IN A WORLD CUP MATCH WAS IN 2015. AFTER WINNING THE BILATERAL 
SERIES AT HOME LAST MONTH BY A SCORE OF 3-1 OVER NEW ZEALAND, ENGLAND IS ALSO 
HEADED TO ITS WORLD CUP DEBUT. TRENT BOULT, A PROMINENT PACER, NEEDS THREE 
MORE VICTORIES TO REACH 200 IN ODIS.