Lockie Ferguson is in "good shape" and expected to play in the World Cup semifinals, said New Zealand coach Gary Stead, who has put his faith on the tearaway quick to make the difference against India on Tuesday.
Ferguson, who has emerged as New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in the tournament, had missed their last league match against hosts England at Chester-le-Street due to a hamstring strain.
"I absolutely expect Lockie to play. If the last game was a semi-final or final, we probably would have played him, so it was more a precautionary measure not to play him," Stead told reporters.
"He definitely had some hamstring tightness and he needed 48 hours for that to settle down. He's in good shape and barring getting through the next couple of days, then I expect him to play."
"Whether that's through pace, whether that's through creating pressure for the other person at the other end he always has been looking likely and hopefully he can do that again against India."
"People go through form slumps and heights all the time. He's had a tough tournament but there's nothing from my point of view that suggests that's going to continue for a long period of time."
"I said from the very start, whoever we play, we're going to have to be somewhere near our very best to beat them but that's the excitement, that's the challenge in front of us."