New Zealand vs Canada Live Score T20 World Cup 2026

Permutations at play - Afghanistan and the UAE will be quietly watching this contest, hoping for a New Zealand slip-up that would ignite late drama in the group. Canada have struggled to string together complete performances over longer stretches. Although Dilpreet Bajwa's side is yet to play in Chennai during the group stage, they played both their warm-up fixtures at this venue, which should at least give them a degree of familiarity with the conditions. Stay tuned for the toss and team news.

Chennai awaits a new chapter - While Canada and New Zealand have met three times before in ODI World Cups, with the Kiwis winning all of them convincingly, this will be their first encounter in T20Is. The shortest format has a way of shrinking gaps and injecting unpredictability, irrespective of rankings, and let's hope it delivers a contest to remember.

What's on the menu? First up, Canada take on New Zealand in Chennai, with the Kiwis eyeing qualification to the next round with a win. Later in the day, Ireland face Zimbabwe in Pallekele, where a victory for Sikandar Raza and his men would send them through to the Super 8s and knock Australia out of the race. We will end the day in Mumbai, where Scotland and Nepal will play for pride and look to sign off their campaigns on a high.

Tuesday's dose of entertainment - Hello and a warm welcome, everyone! Hello and a warm welcome, everyone! Hope your week has started well. We have another cracking day of action lined up. With just 10 matches left in the group stage, 5 teams (India, Sri Lanka, West Indies, England and South Africa) have already sealed their spots in the Super 8s. Two more could join them today, depending on how the results unfold.

... MATCH DAY ...

Match intro - As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 enters the critical backend phase of the group stage, Match 31 features a fascinating David vs Goliath encounter between New Zealand and Canada at the historic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. New Zealand, the perennial dark horses who have become masters of consistency, face off against a Canadian side looking to claim the biggest scalp in their cricketing history. New Zealand look to bounce back - New Zealand enter this fixture on the back of a hefty defeat against the Proteas. However, having already secured dominant victories over Afghanistan and the UAE, the Black Caps are still breathing down the necks of South Africa for the top spot in Group D. After a disappointing early exit in 2024, the Kiwis have returned to their spin-heavy blueprint, which has proved lethal on Indian tracks. The Kiwis are generally very adaptable to different surfaces and after playing a five-match T20I series in India before the start of the World Cup, one expected them to be well versed with the conditions. They were excellent in the first two matches but the Proteas really gave them a reality check. When the top order misfires, the middle order seems a bit vulnerable and their pacers haven't bowled well as a unit. A few tweaks are needed if New Zealand want to confirm a place in the Super 8 and one would expect them to do just that. Canada's chance to stun the world - Canada, led by Dilpreet Bajwa, arrive in Chennai as the clear underdogs but with nothing to lose. While they’ve struggled against the heavyweights like South Africa earlier in the tournament, their unbeaten run in the Americas Qualifiers showed they possess the grit to challenge established nations if the conditions offer a bit of grip and turn. Their last match against the UAE was a humdinger of a contest in which Canada let things slip out of their grasp and ended up on the losing side. They have shown flashes of brilliance and their spin attack in the middle phase can be very effective. The likes of Navneet Dhaliwal and Harsh Thaker have shown promise as well in that middle order and it is now up to Dilpreet Bajwa to lead from the front with the bat. Form (Last 5 T20Is, most recent first) -  NZ - LWWLW | CAN - LLWWW. What to expect? The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is generally synonymous with spin. Recent matches in this tournament have shown that while the ball comes on nicely under lights, the morning matches often see the pitch offering grip more as the moisture dries up. Both teams have good spin options but the Kiwis have already played in Chennai during the morning and know what's coming. Can Canada push the Kiwis and put them under pressure? Or will Mitchell Santner and co get back to winning ways without a fuss? Only time will tell.