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New Zealand and Bangladesh have produced bipolar World T20 campaigns, with the former secure in the semi-finals and the latter eliminated and left to seek a consolation win.

Will the Black Caps take their foot off the gas and allow Mashrafe Mortaza's men the chance of regaining a little pride? 

Let's take a look at how the two teams are shaping up ahead of this contest.

Game Information

Date: Saturday, 26 March

Time: 3:00 p.m. local (9:30 a.m. GMT)

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India

Live Stream and TV Info: Fox Sports (Australia), DD National/Star Sports (India), GEO Super/PTV Sports (Pakistan), TNL TV (Sri Lanka), Star/Channel 9 (Bangladesh), Life OK (UK), Sky Sport (New Zealand), Yupptv.com (Live streaming service available in Europe).

Weather: Don't forget the sunscreen for this one, with temperatures peaking at around 95 degrees Fahrenheit around the time of the game's commencement, according to BBC Weather.

Overview

Bangladesh's incredible defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory against India—they needed just two runs off the last three balls to win—ended their already slim hopes of qualifying.

Which was a real shame for the Tigers, who entered the tournament with high hopes on the back of a successful Asia Cup campaign where they finished as runners-up.

However, the bigger stage of the World Cup proved too much, with the India defeat following on the back of a comprehensive loss to Pakistan and a narrower loss at the hands of Australia.

On a more positive note, Tamim Iqbal (see below) has shown flashes of his old self, Shakib Al Hasan remains world-class and Sabbir Rahman continues to get better and better. 

All of these players have plenty of years in front of them.

On a less positive note, the fallout from the mid-tournament suspension of Taskin Ahmed and Sabbir Rahman, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, continues.

The challenge for Bangladesh is to channel this frustration into a cohesive performance on the pitch.

And they will certainly need to be focused if they are to see off New Zealand, who along with the West Indies have been the team of the tournament so far.

Three times the Kiwis have batted first, setting targets of 126, 142 and 180, and three times they have successfully defended these totals.

Impressively, they’ve done this not only without the recently retired Brendon McCullum, but they’ve also boldly dropped their two premium bowlers of the last few years.

Yes, Tim Southee and Trent Boult have had to look on from the sidelines as Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan and Corey Anderson have taken up the reins.

Furthermore, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, so often forced to toil away on spin-less tracks, have looked like Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan ripping through opposition batting lineups!

Given the anticlimactic nature of this game, Southee and Boult could get a run out in Kolkata, although a turning pitch will diminish their chances.

Ahead of the semi-finals, given that nobody apart from Martin Guptill has scored more than 58 runs, the Black Caps would appreciate a few of their batsmen spending some time at the crease.

T20I head-to-head record and last meeting

The sides have contested three T20 internationals so far, with New Zealand triumphing on all three occasions. The last meeting between the sides was at Dhaka in 2013, with Bangladesh falling to a 15-run defeat.

Squads

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Martin Guptill, Trent Boult, Nathan McCullum, Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi (wk), Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Grant Elliott, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Abu Hider, Arafat Sunny, Mohammad Mithun, Nurul Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed, Tamim Iqbal, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman (wk), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Al-Amin Hossain 

Key Players

New Zealand

India's spin-friendly surfaces have clearly been to the liking of Ish Sodhi, who has produced his best run of form for New Zealand to date. The 23-year-old leg-spinner has conceded just 57 runs from his 12 overs so far. What's more, his haul of five scalps includes names such as Glenn Maxwell, Shahid Afridi and Virat Kohli.

Bangladesh

Rediscovering his mojo after a relatively lean couple of years, Tamim Iqbal looks a threat at the top of the order once more. While his scintillating form from the group stages—233 runs from three innings—has yet to materialise into a big score in the Super 10s, his experienced presence at the top of the order makes Bangladesh a much more dangerous side.

Prediction

So can David topple the already qualified Goliath? It may depend on whether Goliath is up for the fight, but considering the depth in their squad and the fact that several of their players must be hurting at being cut from the first XI, the Black Caps should have the necessary firepower to go 4-for-4.

A 22-run win over Pakistan in Mohali on Tuesday saw New Zealand preserve their perfect record at the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 and book their spot in the tournament semi-finals.  

Opener Martin Guptill bludgeoned his way to 80 in just 48 balls for the Black Caps, as they posted 180 for five from their 20 overs. In response, Sharjeel Khan—with 47 from 25 balls—got Pakistan off to a fine start, although he was let down by some ponderous play from his team-mates.

In the aftermath of this vital win for New Zealand, here is a look at how the Super 10 standings shape up, the remaining tournament fixtures and a more detailed recap of the clash.

New Zealand vs. Pakistan

New Zealand, 180 for five (Guptill 80, Sami two for 23) beat Pakistan, 158 for five (Khan 47, Milne two for 26) by 22 runs

Click here for the full match scorecard.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, the onus is so often on the openers to get the team off to a fast start. And Guptill, so well versed in these situations, did exactly that for New Zealand.

From the off, there was an intent about the batsman, as he and Kane Williamson—who was measured to notch 17 from 21—plundered 62 for the first wicket. Yet even after his opening partner departed in the eighth over and Colin Munro (seven) in the next, Guptill continued to play his shots.

As Mohandas Menon noted here, as the boundaries continued to flow, the New Zealand star is enjoying a superb year in the 20-over format:

His 80, which came to an end after he was bowled out by the excellent Mohammad Sami, set the Black Caps up for a big score, with 127 on the board for the loss of three wickets in the 15th over. So as the team closed on 180 for five, New Zealand may have been a bit disappointed with their overall total.

Corey Anderson—21 from 14 balls—and Luke Ronchi—11 from seven balls—will have been frustrated to have not kicked on, losing their wickets cheaply. It was Ross Taylor who eventually hauled the run rate up with a classy unbeaten cameo of 36 from 23 deliveries.

Former India international Aakash Chopra was impressed with the ball-striking on show and also had praise for other facets of New Zealand’s play:

With a target of 181 for Pakistan, it was evident early in their chase they were keen to get the run rate down, with Khan coming out swinging at the top of the order.

While Ahmed Shehzad kept the scoreboard ticking over, his partner at the crease was in a bullish mood, hammering 10 boundaries in a brutish 47 from 25 balls. When he was eventually snaffled by New Zealand, Pakistan were off to a flyer with 65 runs scored in just 5.3 overs.

From there, some savvy bowling and poor batting dragged New Zealand back into the contest. Shehzad seemed to be struggling for timing, and as Saj Sadiq from PakPassion.net noted, he wasted a lot of scoring opportunities during his time at the crease, finishing on 30 from 32 balls:

So as Khalid Latif (three) and Shehzad departed, the early surge from Khan looked as though it was going to go to waste. That was truer when the dangerous Shahid Afridi fell for a quick-fire 19; his team would have been looking to his experience to steer them closer to the winning target.

New Zealand bowled superbly, in fairness. While wickets didn’t tumble, they suffocated the scoring opportunities for dangerous players, prompting a steep escalation in the run rate required as the match moved towards its climax.

So as the last three overs approached, with 44 runs needed, the Black Caps were big favourites to triumph. And triumph they did, with more astute work with the ball in hand, restricting Pakistan to 158 for five, leaving them 22 runs short.

"Wanted to be aggressive and it paid off for us," Guptill said afterward, per ESPNcricinfo. "Got to keep playing the same way, we got enough power in our batting line-up to keep going. The new ball came on a bit more, hopefully we can keep it going."

New Zealand have been the standout team in this tournament, and it seems fitting they are the first side to secure their place in the last four. Pakistan will now face a massive battle to ensure they also progress, with Australia and India also in pursuit of a coveted spot in the knockout stage.

Usman Khawaja hit a 45-ball 58 to lead Australia to a relatively comfortable three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Group 2 of the 2016 World Twenty20 at Bangalore's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday. 

Bangladesh finished their innings well to set a challenging 157 target to win, but Khawaja's consistent scoring set up Australia for victory with nine balls to spare—although they made it tense for themselves late on.

It marked a first win of the tournament for the Aussies, while Bangladesh have now lost two from two in the Super 10 stage.

Here are the latest group standings following the result and an updated schedule for the tournament.

Australia vs. Bangladesh 

Australia 157 for seven (Khawaja 58, Shakib three for 27) beat Bangladesh 156 for five (Mahmudullah 49, Zampa three for 23) by three wickets.

Click here for full scorecard.

Australia put Bangladesh in to bat, having won the toss, and they took advantage with the second-over dismissal of Soumya Sarkar for just one to the bowling of Shane Watson.

The all-rounder also saw off Sabbir Rahman for 12 in the sixth over as the subcontinent outfit could garner only 33 runs from the opening six-over powerplay.

The absence of in-form opener Tamim Iqbal through illness was clearly a key issue, per AllOutCricket:

Shakib Al Hasan provided some impetus for his side, as he smashed 33 from 25 balls before he fell in the 16th over to spinner Adam Zampa, who also dealt with Mohammad Mithun and Shuvagata Hom in an excellent display.

With just three overs remaining, Bangladesh were struggling, having scored 112 runs, but Mahmudullah gave them hope with a rapid-fire 49.

His blistering innings came from just 29 balls and included seven fours and one six. With the help of Mushfiqur Rahim's 11-ball 15, Mahmudullah led his side past the 150-mark and gave them hope of picking up a key victory, per cricket writer Elizabeth Ammon:

Bangladesh needed early wickets, but Khawaja and Watson got Australia off to a great start, returning 51 runs from the powerplay while losing no wickets.

Watson was excellently run out in the eighth over, and captain Steve Smith made only 14 before being cleaned up by Mustafizur Rahman, but Khawaja remained and batted excellently.

He passed his half century and kept Australia consistently well ahead of the required rate, getting them to 42 needed from 42 balls before he was finally bowled around his legs for 58 by Al-Amin Hossain.

David Warner went seven balls later in the 14th over, but some big-hitting from Glenn Maxwell—who scored 26 from 15—left the Aussies needing just nine from the last three overs.

They did their best to make things difficult despite the easy equation, with Maxwell getting stumped as he went for an unnecessarily big shot before John Hastings was caught at deep midwicket trying to finish the game in one blow.

It could have got really tense for the Australians, but they were let off by some poor fielding by Bangladesh, and a James Faulkner boundary eventually saw them claim the two points with nine balls to spare.

After their dispiriting performance against India, Pakistan face a crucial clash with the in-form New Zealand knowing defeat would leave their hopes of progressing hanging from a thread.

Consequently, if the Black Caps can make it three from three, Kane Williamson's men will have all but booked their spot in the semi-finals with a game to spare.

Let's take a look at how the two teams are shaping up ahead of this intriguing contest.

Date: Tuesday, 22 March

Time: 7:30 p.m. local (2:00 p.m. GMT)

Venue: PCA Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh, India

Live Stream and TV Info: Fox Sports (Australia), DD National/Star Sports (India), GEO Super/PTV Sports (Pakistan), TNL TV (Sri Lanka), Star/Channel 9 (Bangladesh), Life OK (UK), Sky Sport (New Zealand), Yupptv.com (Live streaming service available in Europe).

Weather: According to Accuweather.com, a blazing day of hot sunshine will give way to a warm, pleasant evening in Chandigarh.

Overview

New Zealand have made a flying start to the tournament, seeing off heavyweight duo India and Australia, and yet the highest individual score from one of their batsmen is Martin Guptill's 39 against the Baggy Greens.

What's more surprising is that, arguably, their two best seamers, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, weren't even in the team. 

However, in their place, a mixed-bag of bowlers have proved a nightmare to get away on some difficult batting surfaces, enabling Kane Williamson's men to defend totals of 126 and 142.

Spinners' Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Nathan McCullum and Williamson have delivered 20 overs for just 91 runs while picking up 12 wickets so far.

And the medium-pace duo of Corey Anderson and Grant Elliot have also been economic, with the former even stepping up to open the bowling.

Of course, if the surface at Mohali proves to be less attritional, then the likes of Guptill, Colin Munro and Ross Taylor will be eager to flex their muscles.

All in all, New Zealand have most bases covered and, under the impressive captaincy of Williamson, clearly mean business in this competition. Brendan who?

Pakistan, on the other hand, are still reeling from a couple of recent, humiliating T20 defeats to their bitter rivals India.

The first of which came at the Asia Cup, where they were skittled for just 83.

And then on Saturday, Shahid Afridi's men could only muster 118 to lose by six wickets and throw a spanner into their qualification chances.

More positive was a thundering win over Bangladesh in the first match of their World Cup campaign that was built around a huge first-innings score of 201.

If they can repeat these sort of totals more often, then their potent seam attack of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz will have more chance to attack with the ball.

The negative media surrounding Shahid Afridi's captaincy and place in the side continues apace, and the bombastic all-rounder could do with a huge performance here.

T20I head-to-head record and last meeting

The sides have contested 14 T20 Internationals so far, with Pakistan holding an 8-6 advantage. However, New Zealand have won the last two encounters, including a 95-run drubbing on home soil at Wellington in January.

Squads

Pakistan

Shahid Afridi (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, Imad Wasim, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Amir, Mohammed Hafeez, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sami, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Shoaib Malik, Sharjeel Khan, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz.

New Zealand

Kane Williamson (capt), Martin Guptill, Trent Boult, Nathan McCullum, Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi (wk), Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Grant Elliott, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee

Key Players

Pakistan

Amir has been in impressive form since his return from his spot-fixing ban, and he's quickly become Pakistan's leading bowler.

With an economy rate of 6.55 from 60 T20 appearances, the 23-year-old's searing pace and testing lines with the new ball will present a testing challenge for the Kiwis attack-minded batting lineup

New Zealand

Prior to the tournament, if you were looking for a weak spot in the New Zealand lineup, then their spin department would have been the obvious choice. However, that was before Santner arrived on the world stage.

The 24-year-old slow left-armer has flourished on India's spin-friendly decks claiming six wickets at 6.83 while posting an economy rate of just over five.

Prediction

While there are undoubtedly match-winners in the Pakistan team, their batting lineup remains inconsistent, especially if Hafeez fails. Conversely, New Zealand are a slick, battle-hardened and in-form side with plenty of momentum behind them. Thus, it is hard to back against them here.

With the West Indies and Sri Lanka both making successful starts to their ICC World Twenty20 campaigns, the winner of this tussle will be in an excellent position to clinch a semi-final spot.

And judging by his destructive innings against England, the length of time Chris Gayle manages to bat could be the key to this game.

Let's take a look at how these sides are shaping up ahead of this intriguing clash.

Date: Sunday, 20 March

Time: 7:30 p.m. local (2:00 p.m. GMT)

Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Live Stream and TV Info: Channel 9 and Fox Sports (Australia), Ariana TV Network (Afghanistan), BTV (Bangladesh), ESPN Star and Star Sports (India), SkySports NZ (New Zealand), Sky Sports 2 (United Kingdom), Willow TV (subscription, USA and Canada), PTV Sports and Ten Sports (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN Sports (Middle East)

Weather: According to BBC Weather, it could be a scorcher in Bangalore with a day of sunshine seguing into a perfect night for cricket.

Overview

How to solve a problem like Gayle? That's the conundrum facing Sri Lanka in Bangalore.

England certainly couldn't and had to stand and watch as the self-styled "Universe Boss" blasted 11 sixes while compiling a match-winning 47-ball century.

Will the Sri Lankans fare any better?

They won't have Lasith Malinga in their ranks to help them with the wild-haired paceman, because as reported by ESPNCricinfo, he was ruled out of the tournament on Friday due to a knee injury.

It is expected that one of Seekkuge Prasanna, Jefferey Vandasay or Kasun Rajitha will replace him in the squad.

But they do have the vast experience of Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who rolled back the years to make 83 from 56 balls against Afghanistan, to call on with the bat.

Additionally, a varied bowling lineup potentially boasting multiple spinners could provide a real test, especially if the track is conducive to turn.

However, it's clear that the West Indies will go into the encounter as favourites.

Despite the absence of Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, their lineup contains numerous T20 veterans who are more than at home playing in Indian conditions.

And as well as Gayle's well-known ability to hit a long ball, every one of their top seven is capable of causing significant damage in little time at the crease.

Perhaps their weakest aspect is a pace attack with a penchant for leaking runs alarmingly at times.

The trio of Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite currently own T20 International economy rates of 8.58, 9.54 and 10.37, respectively.

Although spin duo Sulieman Benn and, in particular, Samuel Badree (see below) can be difficult to get away, which tends to balance things out.

T20I head-to-head record and last meeting

Sri Lanka currently hold the upper hand over the West Indies in the T20 format and boast a 6-2 record from their eight encounters. That said, the last four contests have been split equally, and the Caribbean Islands won the teams' latest meeting by 23 runs in November at Colombo.

Squads

Sri Lanka

Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardana, Dasun Shanaka, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dushmantha Chameera, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Thirimanne.

West Indies

Darren Sammy (capt), Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Ashley Nurse, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Evin Lewis, Jerome Taylor. 

Key Players

Sri Lanka

Given his surprising return to the captaincy, Mathews has to carry a lot of weight on his shoulders, but his economical bowling and powerful hitting will be crucial if Sri Lanka are going to threaten the business end of the tournament. The 28-year-old took the new ball against Afghanistan and also provided the finishing flourish. Expect more of the same here.

West Indies

While Gayle captures the headlines, Badree is an understated threat with the ball. Incredibly, the 35-year-old has returned an economy rate of 5.41 from 129 T20 appearances, the best of any bowler who has played the format. If the metronomic leg-spinner finds his range again, it will be four overs Sri Lanka will struggle to score in.

Prediction

The West Indies bludgeoned England aside but, to be fair, it was a one-man show. If the law of averages kicks in and the big man fails this time around, Sri Lanka's mixed bag of bowlers could confuse Darren Sammy's men enough to claim surprise victory.

New Zealand spoiled the host nation's party in the first Super 10 match of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 on Tuesday, as India suffered a shock 47-run loss in Nagpur.  

The Black Caps were restricted to 126 for seven on a testing wicket, with Corey Anderson the top scorer with 34. Despite the surface, it was a target which looked below par, but it proved too much for India, who lost wickets with alarming frequency and eventually collapsed to 79 all out.

Here are the tables in full for this year’s tournament, the full fixture list for the competition and a thorough recap of how the action panned out on what was an absorbing day.

Tuesday Recap

New Zealand, 126 for 7 (20.0 overs, Anderson 34, Bumrah one for 15) beat India, 79 all out (18.1 overs, Dhoni 30, Santner four for 11) by 47 runs.

Click here for the full match scorecard.

After winning the toss, there was an obvious intent in New Zealand early on at the crease, with Martin Guptill hammering the first ball of the match for six. Remarkably, that’d be the opener’s only contribution, as he was snaffled on the next ball by Ravichandran Ashwin.

It was an ideal start for the hosts, and it was evident from some of the spinner’s deliveries that batting was going to be tough. When Colin Munro went for a six and then got out in the next over, at 13 for two, a change in tactic was needed.

Kane Williamson sought to implement that, but he failed to find rhythm at the crease, making just eight from 16 balls before he grew frustrated and was stumped off the bowling of Ashish Nehra.

As we can see here, courtesy of Sky Sports Cricket, Williamson, one of the finest players in world cricket, was well out of his ground, and the Black Caps were in trouble:

Anderson, usually a bullish big hitter, was the man who oversaw an astute rebuilding job. Both Ross Taylor (10) and Mitchell Santner (18) fell for disappointing scores while he was at the crease, but Anderson kept composed and kept the scoreboard ticking over in these tough conditions, making 34 from a pedestrian 42 balls.

Still, when he departed, New Zealand at least had a platform of sorts at 89 for five with just over four overs remaining. While Grant Elliott fell for just nine, an unbeaten 21 from 15 balls from Luke Ronchi gave the visitors some positive momentum, as did an impressive 15 runs from the final over.

At the interval in the first match of the Super 10 stage, with New Zealand sat on 126 for seven, iconic West Indies batsman Brian Lara commented that he was not happy with the pitch:

A star-studded India batting lineup also had problems in the nascent stages of their chase. Indeed, two wickets apiece from Nathan McCullum and Santner in the opening five overs stunned the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium into silence.

Rohit Sharma (5), Shikhar Dhawan (1), Suresh Raina (1) and Yuvraj Singh (4) had all gone cheaply, and on 26 for four, India were rocking. As cricket statistician Mohandas Menon noted at this point, India have never had such a poor start to a T20 match on home soil before:

Virat Kohli was still there, though, and he was operating with a composure scarcely seen from his team-mates, moving onto 23. But he was unable to push from there, as the excellent Santner had him caught from behind.

Indeed, while much will be made of the manner in which India crumbled under pressure here, the New Zealand left-arm spinner deserves immense credit for the frequency with which he troubled the India batsmen, with Hardik Pandya also falling to his wizardry. 

As ESPNcricinfo noted, it was a stunning start to Santner's spell, with three wickets taken in the space of 10 balls:

With Ravindra Jadeja falling not long after, the hosts were in huge trouble at 43 for seven. From there, MS Dhoni and Ashwin slowed things and sought to see India through the entire 20 overs. But with the run rate required rising rapidly in the latter stages, they were always going to fall short.

Dhoni was eventually dismissed for a run-a-ball 30, and while his big hitting did give the home fans something to cheer before heading home, India will be massively disappointed with their score of 79 all out in 18.1 overs. Santner eventually finished with four wickets for 11 runs, while Ish Sodhi also shone with three for 18.

India may still be the favourites to progress, although this loss heaps a lot of pressure on them in the matches to come against tricky opponents, including the formidable Australia, great rivals Pakistan and an improving Bangladesh team. New Zealand, meanwhile, will be delighted by the manner in which they defended a mediocre total with some savvy bowling and fine fielding.

Bangladesh and Afghanistan have confirmed their spots in the tournament proper at the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 with the Super 10 stages set to begin on Tuesday.

India kick things off in Group 2 against New Zealand in Nagpur, and the hosts will be eager to make a good start as they look to go all the way in the tournament.

Defending champions Sri Lanka get their campaign under way against Afghanistan on Thursday and are in for a tough contest after the Associate side won all three of their matches in the preliminary group stage.

Here is a look at the standings from the qualifying stages, along with a full schedule for the Super 10 fixtures, television and live streaming information and a preview of India's opener.

Every match will be televised live on Sky Sports and can be streamed live online via Sky Go. 

New Zealand vs. India

Home advantage and their highly impressive recent T20 form—they have won 10 of 11 official matches in 2016—have combined to make India many people's favourites to win this year's World T20.

It has been nine years since they triumphed in the inaugural tournament in South Africa, but MS Dhoni's side look to be coming good at just the right time.

Recent victory in the Asia Cup, in which they saw off the likes of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan to triumph, means India should go into Tuesday's opener with great confidence.

Their bowling has come on leaps and bounds recently, and the likes of Ravi Ashwin, Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah will all cause New Zealand's batsmen problems at the VCA Stadium.

India's batting is also very strong, Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli all part of one of the most daunting lineups in world cricket.

As ever, Yuvraj Singh could also be vital, and he insisted during the Asia Cup that he is closing in on his top form again, per BCCI.tv (via ESPN Cricinfo):

Today was one of those days where I felt my flow was back. I needed a bit of a flow out there to feel good. I felt that my game is back. I have been trying to get as much batting time as possible and I believe I have been picking up slowly.

The main problem for India could be the huge pressure they are under to perform in their home tournament. However, the huge support they will get could also be an advantage while Dhoni previously said his side are trying to ignore the hype, per Cricbuzz:

An opening victory over the ever-consistent Kiwis would be a terrific nerve-calming tonic for India.

However, they face a tough challenge against the Black Caps. They may now be without talismanic captain Brendon McCullum, but they still have a huge amount of quality in their squad.

Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson and Colin Munro are all terrific operators at the top of the order while Ross Taylor's experience could prove vital for the Kiwis in India.

New Zealand have a terrific T20 record against India having beaten them in all four of their previous contests, per ICC Cricket's R. Kaushik.

That will give them some level of comfort ahead of Tuesday, but a faultless performance will likely be required if they are to topple the hosts.

It is a mouth-watering clash to start the tournament proper and a difficult match to call. India are the favourites, but they cannot afford to be complacent as a good start is necessary if they are to go all the way.

Picking a key player in the Twenty20 format is a difficult task. For a team like India, whose T20 star has been on the rise, almost every single player has contributed.

However, players who are consistent in this format are usually the ones who become invaluable to their side and Rohit Sharma has done just that.

In the last two years only Virat Kohli and Mohammad Shahzad have scored more runs in T20s than Sharma. When the criteria is narrowed to the last year, Sharma is still third on the list for most runs in the T20 format. He is also the most consistent with three fifties and a century in 13 matches.

Sharma’s biggest strength lies in his ability to accelerate his innings, something which has been especially prevalent when he is batting in one-day cricket.

When Sharma scored that incredible 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014, he took his time. You might not think that when you saw that he had reached the total in 173 balls, but he did. Here's how he broke things down:

The first 50 came off 72 balls, his 100 off 100 balls, the 150 off 125 balls, he reached 200 off 151 balls and moved onto 250 off 166 balls before, finally, his total was 264 off 173 balls.

As an opener, this ability to accelerate an innings is incredibly important, especially in the T20 format. While India certainly aren’t lacking in big-hitters who can come in and obliterate a team lower down the order, that Sharma can set a foundation and help the team build from there is vital.

If that same player can stay at the crease and launch the innings himself once he’s played himself in, his value rises.

When Sharma scored his maiden T20 century against South Africa last year, he did exactly that. His first 24 runs came off 22 balls and he moved to 50 off 39 balls. In T20 cricket, that's a fairly average strike rate.

However, he brought up the next 50 runs that took him to his hundred off just 23 balls. Sure, South Africa’s dubious bowling helped in this instance, but a player still has to stick it out and pick the bad balls.

A few years ago Sharma had earned the moniker “No Hit Sharma” in certain Twitter circles. Considering his returns in cricket were modest until 2013, the moniker wasn’t entirely unfair.  

While he still has much to prove in the Test format, in T20s, Sharma has shown that having the heart and patience of a Test cricketer with the brain and aggression of a T20 cricketer can go a very long way.

Sharma is definitely most effective when India bat first (averaging 35.75 vs 28.76 when batting second) he has scored five fifties both batting first and batting second.

That average rises to 56.66 in matches where India have batted first and won, which might be an indication that No Hit has become a hit and an instrumental part in setting India up for impressive victories in the T20 format.

Despite Australia’s triumph in the 2015 World Cup, their performances in the Twenty20 format last year were dubious at best. In the seven matches they played, they won just twice. But T20 is largely a lottery. Even with the best players in your team, it doesn’t always mean that you’ll win.

The T20 format is all about margins, and it is marginal differences that make certain players more valuable than others. James Faulkner is one of those players.

In 2014, Faulkner's bowling average was 16.00 in five fixtures. That has jumped to 29.60 this year, but it is not his bowling that sets him apart on margins. Faulkner’s chasing and, more importantly, his ability to hold his nerve when finishing, is truly extraordinary in limited-overs cricket.

Recently, in the second T20 against South Africa, Faulkner stepped in with just four balls left and 11 runs to get. He didn't need to go for the big shots and take undue risk but helped to tick the scoreboard over so that Australia could reach their target. This might not seem extraordinary, but the ability to keep a cool head like that is vital.

In one-day cricket, Faulkner is a cut above the rest. In a piece recently written for ABC, Geoff Lemon pointed out the following:

In the 15 ODI run chases that he's batted in, James Faulkner averages 119.

Of Faulkner's 15 run chases, Australia has won 11.

In those 11 winning chases, Faulkner averages 287.

You can deduce from this that in 11 successful chases, he has been out once. He has remained at the crease for the win on the other 10 occasions.

On nine of those 10 occasions, Faulkner has hit the winning runs himself.

Four times, he has hit the winning runs in the last over. Two other times, in the second-last over.

Now, you might argue that one-day cricket and T20 cricket are two completely different beasts. That is true, but Faulkner hasn’t earned himself the nickname “The Finisher” for nothing.

In the second T20 in Johannesburg, Faulkner helped Australia complete their highest ever chase with the bat, but he also contributed significantly with the ball.

While Josh Hazlewood, John Hastings and Mitchell Marsh were all carted for more than 10 runs an over at a venue known for its high scores, Faulkner’s figures were three for 28. He used his off-cutter effectively and, when asked about it, was acutely aware of the importance of mixing things up in international cricket.

“There’s so much cricket being played all around the world...you come up against the players so often now so they know what’s coming. So I’m just trying a few different things,” Faulkner said.

“There’s going to be times when I look a bit silly and everyone at home and at the ground are thinking ‘what is he doing.' There might be days when it comes off.”

Faulkner seems to come off more often than he doesn’t, and having a player who is not afraid to take risks will make a big difference to Australia in the World T20.

All information obtained firsthand, unless otherwise stated.