New Zealand vs Afghanistan Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips Star As NZ Script Record Chase

Turning the Page - That brings us to the end of this game, where New Zealand avenge their defeat from the 2024 T20 World Cup and put Afghanistan under early pressure in Group D. The action now shifts to Group C, where England take on Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The toss has already taken place, with England set to bat first, and with the match starting shortly, you can switch tabs to enjoy all the coverage of the match. Cheers!

The victorious skipper of New Zealand - Mitchell Santner describes it as a good game, saying Afghanistan were a threat and it was a massive game. He feels Afghanistan challenged New Zealand a lot, as they thought they would, and the pitch was sticky to start. Santner notes they're playing in seven grounds, so getting a read on grounds and conditions quickly is crucial. He highlights the importance of Powerplays, with Mujeeb posing a challenge. Santner adds that the wicket ended up being flat, and having a batter at 8 is nice, though they could be sharper. Santner thinks 180 was par and they were looking for partnerships, with the cutters holding up well.

The captain of Afghanistan - Rashid Khan says that he is disappointed with the defeat. Adds that they put up a good total on the board, but they did not bowl well, and leaked too many runs in the middle overs. Mentions that they will have to learn quickly and execute better in the next games. Says that bowling wicket to wicket was the way to go, but they were inconsistent with their lines and lengths. Praises the batting unit for their effort in this game, but also says that they can improve in the first six overs with the bat.

Presentation Time...

A strong start that slipped away - Afghanistan started brightly with the ball, with Mujeeb setting the tone by picking up two wickets in his first over. However, they could not build on that and allowed a big partnership to develop. Rashid did manage to break it, but by then the damage was already done. Azmatullah Omarzai and Nabi also got among the wickets, but apart from Mujeeb, no other bowler could contain the runs. Rashid dropping Seifert on 48 also proved costly, as who knows, that could have made the game a lot closer.

Naib sparks Afghan surge - Earlier in the game, Afghanistan put up a strong total on the board, courtesy of a career-best in T20Is from Gulbadin Naib, who smashed 63 off 35. He was well supported by Atal as the pair added a crucial 79-run stand in the middle to set the platform, before Rasool and Omarzai provided the finishing touches. For New Zealand, Henry was the pick of the bowlers, picking up a wicket and keeping things tight, while Duffy, Ferguson and Ravindra also chipped in with wickets but were on the expensive side. Santner, though, bowled a very economical spell, conceding just 23 runs in his four overs, or else they would have been chasing something even bigger.

Black Caps cruise home - New Zealand were rocked early at 14/2, but they did not panic. Tim Seifert continued his good form, anchoring the chase, while Glenn Phillips took on the role of aggressor. The pair added 74 runs together, with Seifert bringing up a well-made half-century and Phillips' 42 off 25 proving crucial in shifting the momentum. They could not stay till the end, but Mark Chapman added valuable runs to take them closer, before Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner finished the job with more than a couple of overs to spare.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Tim Seifert receives the award for his excellent knock of 65 runs off 42 balls. He is happy to start the tournament with a win and some runs on the board, acknowledging the tough conditions. He notes that losing early wickets made it challenging, but he is pleased they got the job done. Seifert says he and Finn Allen looked to put pressure on the bowlers, opting for pace over spin initially, but adapted as the innings progressed, finding spin became easier to handle. He ends by saying he is always working on his game, leveraging experience from playing globally and in franchise leagues, and backing himself to adapt to conditions.

Kiwis rewrite the script - New Zealand are up and running in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, pulling off their highest successful chase in T20 World Cups. From losing by 84 runs to Afghanistan in the last edition to producing this complete performance, the Kiwis have come a long way. Afghanistan, though, will need to buckle up quickly, as gaining momentum is very essential in this tournament.

Another full toss, around off, Daryl Mitchell knocks this down to long on for a single to seal the game. New Zealand win this by 5 wickets and 13 balls to spare.

SIX! SCORES ARE LEVEL! High full toss, on middle, Daryl Mitchell muscles this over the fence towards the deep mid-wicket region to level the scores. This is sent upstairs for a check on the height of the ball and the replay shows that it was clearly below the waist height.

Hard length on off, Mitchell Santner pushes this to covers and takes a quick one. The ball hits Mitchell Santner as the throw comes in and Rashid Khan and Mitchell Santner share a light-hearted moment.

FOUR! That's an excellent stroke from Mitchell Santner. Short and wide of off, Mitchell Santner hangs onto his back foot and cuts this late through the backward point region for a boundary.

Good length on middle and off, Daryl Mitchell tucks this through mid-wicket for one.

The last two balls have taken the Kiwis well ahead in the chase. They just need 13 runs in 18 balls now. Here is Azmatullah Omarzai to bowl the 18th over.

SIX! This settles the dust to an extent, as New Zealand now needs just 13 more to win off the last 3 overs. On a length around middle and leg, Mitchell Santner presents a full face of his bat and lifts this over the fence towards the long off region for a biggie.

FOUR! Santner eases the pressure on the Kiwis. Good length on middle and leg, Mitchell Santner backs away and steps down the track. Chips this over the fielder at the extra cover region for a boundary. 19 needed off 19!

Overthrows! Full and on off, Mitchell Santner rolls this to mid off and sets off for a single. Mohammad Nabi fields this and has a go at the stumps towards the non-striker's end but misses. The ball goes through the fielder backing from mid-wicket and the keeper as well for an extra run.

Yorker, on off. Mitchell Santner pushes this to covers for a dot.

Slower one, short and on off, Daryl Mitchell forces this to long on for a single.