Group C preview

The ninth version of nan Men's T20 World Cup is now conscionable days away.

BBC Sport has collaborated pinch information analysts CricViz to preview each of nan 20 sides successful nan first group stage.

We've divided each of nan 4 groups into its ain preview and looked astatine really each broadside is shaping up ahead of nan tourney and CricViz person picked retired a cardinal batter and bowler.

Here's Group C, which features Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and West Indies.

ICC T20 world ranking: 10th

T20 World Cup appearances: Six

Best T20 World Cup performance: Round 2 (2016, 2021 & 2022)

Captain: Rashid Khan

Head coach: Jonathan Trott

Form (most caller last): LWLWW

Group fixtures (all times BST): Uganda (4 June, 01:30), New Zealand (8 June, 00:30), Papua New Guinea (14 June, 01:30) & West Indies (18 June, 01:30)

Batter to watch: Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Dynamic opening batter Gurbaz has been plying his waste and acquisition successful various franchise leagues crossed nan globe, including nan Indian Premier League (IPL), Major League Cricket (MLC) and ILT20.

In nan powerplay he will look to return connected seam bowlers down nan crushed and pounce connected immoderate bowlers who overpitch.

Since nan extremity of nan past World Cup, Gurbaz has much than double nan number of runs than immoderate different Afghanistan batter (1,504) and achieved this astatine a strike-rate of 143.

Bowler to watch: Rashid Khan

Widely regarded arsenic nan champion T20 bowler operating today, Rashid's skills are successful precocious request crossed T20 franchise leagues globally.

His marque of accelerated and nonstop enigma rotation has been puzzling batters complete his nine-year world career.

Across this World Cup cycle, his wickets person travel astatine an mean of conscionable beneath 20 and astatine a miserly system complaint nether seven.

No bowler has taken much T20 wickets this decade than him either.

ICC T20 world ranking: Fifth

T20 World Cup appearances: Eight

Best T20 World Cup performance: Semi-finalists (2007, 2016 & 2022)

Captain: Kane Williamson

Head coach: Gary Stead

Form (most caller last): LLWWL

Group fixtures (all times BST): Afghanistan (8 June, 00:30), West Indies (13 June, 01:30), Uganda (15 June, 01:30) & Papua New Guinea (17 June, 15:30)

Batter to watch: Finn Allen

The right-hander's boundary-hitting expertise successful nan first half of nan innings is phenomenal and will beryllium cardinal successful providing nan level to build large totals.

His powerplay strike-rate of 149 successful this World Cup rhythm is among nan highest of immoderate subordinate successful T20 history.

He will request to harvester his earthy powerfulness pinch maturity to move those cameos into meaningful totals.

Bowler to watch: Mitch Santner

Left-arm spinner Santner has a phenomenal grounds successful nan Caribbean, averaging nether 17 pinch nan shot astatine an system of 5.5. In nary different geographical area successful nan world does he person a amended bowling record.

His expertise to subtly alteration his speed, formation and trajectory will make him tricky to look connected perchance adjuvant tracks.

With nan hit-and-miss Ish Sodhi providing nan precocious variance leg-spin for nan Kiwis, Santner has to connection reliability and wicket-taking threat.

ICC T20 world ranking: 20th

T20 World Cup appearances: One

Best T20 World Cup performance: Round 1 (2021)

Captain: Assadollah Vala

Head coach: Tatenda Taibu

Form (most caller last): WWWLL

Group fixtures (all times BST): West Indies (2 June, 15:30), Uganda (6 June, 00:30), Afghanistan (14 June, 01:30) & New Zealand (17 June, 15:30)

Batter to watch: Tony Ura

Right-hander Ura is nan backbone of nan Papua New Guinea team. Opening nan batting, Ura is nan starring run-scorer since nan past World Cup and for his state wide successful this format.

His runs besides travel quickly - his strike-rate of 151 successful this rhythm is nan highest of immoderate PNG batter to look much than 50 balls.

He strikes astatine complete 150 against some gait and spin, and loves a flying start, striking astatine 166 successful nan powerplay.

He's nan only PNG batter to person a period successful world T20s.

Bowler to watch: Charles Amini

The leg-spinner has a important domiciled arsenic nan main spinner successful a broadside which has mostly been very gait heavy.

Since nan past World Cup, Amini has bowled comfortably much than half of nan rotation deliveries sent down by PNG, taking 18 wickets.

On Caribbean surfaces, his capacity will beryllium important to his side.

ICC T20 world ranking: 22nd

T20 World Cup appearances: Debutants

Captain: Brian Masaba

Head coach: Abhay Sharma

Form (most caller last): WWLWL

Group fixtures (all times BST): Afghanistan (4 June, 01:30), Papua New Guinea (6 June, 00:30), West Indies (9 June, 01:30) & New Zealand (15 June, 01:30)

Batter to watch: Simon Ssesazi

Consistent left-hander Ssesazi is his country’s starring run-scorer successful T20 internationals and has been nan starring run-scorer crossed each nations successful this World Cup cycle.

His strike-rate has been supra 130 against some gait and rotation successful this time, and his mean of 43 against seamers provides awesome stableness astatine nan apical of nan order.

Bowler to watch: Alpesh Ramjani

Mumbai-born left-arm spinner Ramjani has taken 70 wickets from his 39 T20Is astatine an mean of conscionable 8.88.

He is an all-phase bowler and brings consistency throughout, but done nan mediate overs he has taken 33 wickets and concedes conscionable 4.37 runs per over.

ICC T20 world ranking: Sixth

T20 World Cup appearances: Eight

Best T20 World Cup performance: Winners (2012 & 2016)

Captain: Rovman Powell

Head coach: Daren Sammy

Form (most caller last): LWWWW

Group fixtures (all times BST): Papua New Guinea (2 June, 15:30), Uganda (9 June, 01:30), New Zealand (13 June, 01:30) & Afghanistan (18 June, 01:30)

Batter to watch: Rovman Powell

The all-rounder has been successful fantabulous shape since taking complete captaincy duties successful February 2023.

The right-hander has enjoyed a promotion up to 5 successful nan bid and averages adjacent to 40 pinch a strike-rate of 170 since nan past World Cup.

Powell has a beardown penchant to facing gait bowling done nan decease overs, wherever his strike-rate jumps to 197.

Bowler to watch: Akeal Hosein

Left-arm spinner Hosein has quickly developed into a cardinal portion of nan West Indies bowling attack.

He is simply a powerplay master and has bowled 52% of his overs successful this shape since nan past World Cup, operating astatine a quicker and flatter trajectory than astir spinners pinch 65% of his deliveries supra 56mph.

Right-hand batters find Hosein peculiarly reliable to get away; he concedes nether 8 runs per complete against his preferred match-up.