New Zealand vs Afghanistan Live Score Updates, T20 World Cup 2026: Gulbadin Naib Slams 50, Afghanistan Accelerate After Cautious Start
New Zealand vs Afghanistan, T20 World Cup 2026 Live Updates: New Zealand will be squaring off against Afghanistan in their first Group D match of the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan, T20 World Cup 2026 Live Updates: Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan has won the toss and opted to bat against New Zealand in their opening T20 World Cup 2026 Group D match in Chennai. New Zealand are aiming to kickstart their tournament off on a positive note after suffering a 1-4 T20I series defeat to India. Afghanistan, on the other hand, are aiming to go one step better, after reaching the semi-finals in the 2024 edition. (Live Scoreboard)
New Zealand Playing XI:Â Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.
Afghanistan Playing XI:Â Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi
New Zealand Cricket Team
Afghanistan
Rashid Khan
Mitchell Santner
NZ vs AFG, T20 World Cup 2026 Live Updates
DRINKS!
Fired into the batter, Gulbadin Naib goes deep inside the crease and works this through mid on for one.
Fired on off, Sediqullah Atal punches this down the ground to long off for a run.
Flighted wide outside off, Gulbadin Naib chips this to sweeper cover for one.
Pushed through on the pads, Sediqullah Atal smashes this to long on for a single.
Much slower around middle and leg, Sediqullah Atal looks for the sweep but gets it away off the inside edge to short fine leg.
Pushed through wide of off, Gulbadin Naib drives this down to long off for a run.
A touch fuller, on middle and off, Gulbadin Naib tucks this through mid-wicket for a run. 18 runs off this Neesham over.
SIX! Even better this time from Naib. On a length around middle and leg, Gulbadin Naib plants his front foot across and slogs this out of the park towards the deep mid-wicket region for a huge six.
FOUR! Boundaries are coming thick and fast again. Slower one, full and wide down the leg, Gulbadin Naib steps across and hits this behind the fielder at short fine leg for a boundary. 100 up for the Afghans!
Short and on off, Sediqullah Atal cuts this to deep point for a single.
Hard length on middle and leg, Sediqullah Atal tucks this through mid-wicket and takes two.
FOUR! Sensational stroke from Atal. Good length on middle and leg, Sediqullah Atal backs away from the stumps, steps down as well and smashes this over the bowler for a boundary in front of the sight screen. That also brings up the 50-RUN STAND between these two batters.
James Neesham comes back into the attack. He has conceded 15 runs in his first couple of overs.
Back of a length around off, Gulbadin Naib miscues the pull off the cue end and it rolls to the left of long on. The batters hustle back for two.
On a length around the pads, Atal flicks this to the right of Jacob Duffy at short fine and takes a single.
Hard length on the pads, Gulbadin Naib dabs this to the right of short fine leg and rotates the strike again.
Back of a length around the pads, Sediqullah Atal works this through the short fine leg region for one.
On a length around middle and off, Sediqullah Atal nudges this through mid-wicket and runs a couple.
Good length around middle and off, Gulbadin Naib nudges this through square leg for one.