T20 World Cup team rocked by sickness bug on eve of the tournament

New Zealand open their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan on Sunday and have some players struggling with illness ahead of the game

The T20 World Cup begins on Saturday (AFP via Getty Images)

New Zealand’s T20 World Cup preparations have been hampered by illness, with key batters Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway struck down by a viral infection.

Head coach Rob Walter remains optimistic, however, that the duo will be fit before the tournament officially gets underway.

Walter confirmed that both Ravindra and Conway would miss a warm-up fixture against the United States in Mumbai. Top-order batter Finn Allen is also being rested as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

"There's a bit of illness in the camp unfortunately at the moment so Devon and Rachin are struggling with a viral infection which I suppose is part and parcel of touring," Walter told reporters on Thursday.

He added a personal note on Ravindra's condition: "Rachin's next door to me and it hasn’t sounded good all night, so I think he might be struggling."

The Black Caps are set to launch their bid for a maiden T20 World Cup title this Sunday against Afghanistan in Chennai.

Rachin Ravindra is one New Zealand player struggling with illness (Anjum Naveed/AP) (AP)

All-rounder Michael Bracewell, who missed the recent 4-1 series loss to India, is expected to be fit for the opening match despite a calf injury, as is Allen.

"Everyone's sort of on track at this stage to be fit and healthy for game one, which is good news," Walter stated.

The team has faced a challenging build-up since arriving in the subcontinent, with Jimmy Neesham also falling ill and paceman Lockie Ferguson returning from injury.

Despite the recent series defeat to India, Ferguson’s two-wicket spell in the final T20 was a significant positive for Walter, with the fast bowler poised to take a leading role in Adam Milne’s absence.

"He has worked incredibly hard to get himself ready for the World Cup," Walter remarked."

He said he was going to ease into it, but he was bowling 145 (kph). So if that's him easing in, I'm looking forward to seeing what's to come."