Tim Seifert’s incredible 65 off 42 balls helped New Zealand defeat Afghanistan by five wickets.
Afghanistan and Newzealand faced off in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2026 on Sunday(February 8, 2026), at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Match Summary
Earlier,Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first.
Afghanistan quickly lost both of their openers to Lockie Ferguson, putting them at 44/2 early on.
Naib’s innings was crucial to their total. He picked up the pace against both fast bowlers and spinners, particularly focusing on overpitched balls to keep the runs coming.
Gulbadin Naib scores 63 runs off 35 balls, while Sediqullah Atal scores 29 runs off 24 balls.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Darwish Rasooli added important runs.
Afghanistan set a tough target of 182-6.
For New Zealand,Rachin Ravindra took crucial wickets.
While chasing 183, New Zealand’s Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra were dismissed cheaply by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, leaving the Kiwis struggling at 14-2 within two overs.
However, Seifert countered with a strong attack during the powerplay alongside Glenn Phillips (42 runs off 25 balls), and their 74-run partnership steadied the chase.
Mark Chapman (28 off 17) and Daryl Mitchell (25 runs (not out)) kept the momentum alive in the middle overs.
With Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai taking key wickets, New Zealand reached 183-5 in 17.5 overs, clinching a memorable victory.
This win not only secured two vital points for New Zealand but also showcased their capability to chase down large totals.
New Zealand achieved their highest successful run chase in T20 World Cup history.
Afghanistan, who had previously defeated New Zealand in 2024, were left regretting their failure to break the Seifert-Phillips partnership.
For the Kiwis, it was a true team effort, with bowlers setting the stage and the top order stepping up when it was most needed.
Leave a Reply