New Zealand vs Afghanistan highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Tim Seifert shines as New Zealand beat Afghanistan by five wickets in Chennai

Sediqullah Atal is the next batter out in the middle. Powerplay ends with Afghanistan scoring 44 for 2. New Zealand would feel they have had the better of their opponents in that period. Both openers are back in the dugout and NZ now stands a chance to control the middle phase of the contest and gain the upper hand over Afghanistan.

Lockie Ferguson to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, OUT! DRAGGED ON! Excellent change of pace from Lockie Ferguson, and he ends the over with a wicket as well. Ferguson bowls this on a good length and on off, rolls his fingers to take the pace off. Rahmanullah Gurbaz gets drawn forward early to block it, but the ball holds up in the surface and nips in as well. It takes the inside edge, deflects onto the pads and then rattles the stumps. Gurbaz departs for 27 off 22, and both the Afghan openers are gone now at the end of the Powerplay. 

Lockie Ferguson to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, FOUR! Fine shot! Lockie Ferguson looks for the yorker, but just misses it, on middle. Rahmanullah Gurbaz backs away to access the off side and smacks it through covers for a boundary.

Lockie Ferguson to Gulbadin Naib, Short of a length and on middle, angling into the body of the batter. Gulbadin Naib gets rushed on his pull shot and mistimes it through square leg for a run.

Lockie Ferguson to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Full again and on middle, Rahmanullah Gurbaz knocks it towards wide mid on for a single.

Lockie Ferguson to Gulbadin Naib, Gets off the mark! Much fuller delivery, outside off, Gulbadin Naib opens the face of his bat and squeezes it through point for three runs.

Gulbadin Naib has been promoted as he walks out to join Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the middle. 

Lockie Ferguson to Ibrahim Zadran, OUT! STRAIGHT TO THE FIELDER! Lockie Ferguson comes into the attack and strikes right away. He bangs this hard into the pitch, but outside off. Ibrahim Zadran sees this as a scoring opportunity and throws his hands at it. However, he just fails to handle the extra bounce and ends up hitting it straight to backward point, where Glenn Phillips gobbles it up easily. Zadran walks back for 10 off 12, and Afghanistan are 35/1.

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Short and into the batter, Rahmanullah Gurbaz goes for a pull but gets late and ends up splicing it to the left of the bowler. 

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Good length on middle and off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashes this towards deep mid-wicket for a couple. 

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, On a length around off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz clips this just behind the bowler for a dot. 

Is that out? There is an appeal for LBW, but not given by the umpire. New Zealand have taken the review here. UltraEdge confirms no bat involved and Ball Tracking shows the ball to be going over the stumps. The Kiwis lose a review early.

Matt Henry to Ibrahim Zadran, NOT OUT! Hard length on middle and leg, Ibrahim Zadran looks to play across the line but misses and gets hit on the thigh pad of the back foot. The ball rolls to point and they sneak a leg bye. Finn Allen tries to catch Zadran off guard with a throw towards the non-striker's end but misses. This is the second instance when Finn Allen has opted to throw underarm. Maybe he is nursing that shoulder injury he suffered in the T20I against India. Mitchell Santner opted to send this upstairs for DRS. Ball Tracker shows that the ball would have missed the stumps. New Zealand lose a review. 

Matt Henry to Ibrahim Zadran, Good length around middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran clips this to deep square leg for a brace here.

Matt Henry to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR! Even Zadran joins the party. Full and angling into the leg side, Ibrahim Zadran stays leg side to the pitch of the ball and flicks this through the mid-wicket region for a boundary. 

Will we see a bowling change? No, Matt Henry to bowl his third over on the trot.

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, FOUR! All it took was one biggie from Gurbaz to make him cut loose. Short and on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz pulls this through the mid-wicket region for a boundary.

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, SIX! First biggie of the contest and it comes off the bat of Gurbaz. On a length around middle and leg, Rahmanullah Gurbaz shuffles across the stumps and plays the scoop perfectly. The ball sails over the fence towards the fine leg region for a huge six. 

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Short and on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz thumps this to covers for no run.

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, WIDE! Good length, down the leg. Wided.

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Back of a length, wide of off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz looks to play the upper cut but misses. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is seemingly getting frustrated. 

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Cutter, into the deck, around off. Rahmanullah Gurbaz scuffs the punch off his under edge.

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Back of a length around the pads, Rahmanullah Gurbaz gets it tickled to short fine for a dot.

This has been a quiet start from Afghanistan, according to their standards. We are 3 overs in, but have not seen a single boundary, and it could have been worse had New Zealand managed to hold on to the catch in the previous over.

Matt Henry to Ibrahim Zadran, Good length on off, Ibrahim Zadran blocks this off his back foot.

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, DROPPED!​ Rahmanullah Gurbaz gets a life as Finn Allen drops a difficult chance. Good length around off, shaping away from the batter. Rahmanullah Gurbaz shimmies down the track and has a blind swing at it. Gets it top-edged behind the keeper. Finn Allen from short fine leg, the keeper and Daryl Mitchell from first slip chase this but Finn Allen ends up calling for it and then dropping it. Three runs taken. 

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Short and shaping it away from the batter towards his off-stump. Rahmanullah Gurbaz shuffles across and goes for the pull but misses yet again. 

Matt Henry to Ibrahim Zadran, Short and around leg, Ibrahim Zadran fends this through Finn Allen at short fine leg. A misfield from Allen and the batters cross for one.

Matt Henry to Ibrahim Zadran, Around that nagging length, on top of off. Ibrahim Zadran punches this off his front foot to mid on.

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Back of a length around off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz cuts this to deep third for a single. 

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Good length on the pads, Rahmanullah Gurbaz steps inside the line and nudges this through square leg for a run to end the over. 

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Short again, much wide of the off-stump. Rahmanullah Gurbaz shuffles across and looks to pull this but misses out.

Jacob Duffy to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Short and on off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz dabs this behind square on off side.

Jacob Duffy to Ibrahim Zadran, Short and on off, Ibrahim Zadran hops up on his toes and dabs this to the left of Finn Allen at short third. Allen does well to field this with a dive to that side and keep it down to one. 

Jacob Duffy to Ibrahim Zadran, On a length around the pads, Ibrahim Zadran flicks this through the square leg region and by the time the deep square leg fielder cuts it off, the batters take two.

Jacob Duffy to Ibrahim Zadran, Hard length, around middle and off, Ibrahim Zadran keeps it out.

Jacob Duffy will share the attack.

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Short and around leg, Rahmanullah Gurbaz leaves it expecting a wide but the umpire calls it a fair one.

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, On a length around off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz lofts this behind mid off for a brace.

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Gurbaz on the charge. Good length, wide of off, shaping away from the batter. Rahmanullah Gurbaz runs down and away and sliced this behind cover-point for a couple of runs. 

Matt Henry to Ibrahim Zadran, LEG BYE! Good length, going down the leg, Ibrahim Zadran misses out on the flick and the ball has clipped off his pads towards square leg for a leg bye.

Matt Henry to Ibrahim Zadran, Pace off, back of a length, going down the leg. Ibrahim Zadran looks to dab this through square leg but misses and gets hit away off his pads. The ball pops up and rolls behind but past the stumps.

Matt Henry to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, A single to get us underway. Good length, in line with the stumps. Rahmanullah Gurbaz presses in front and tucks this towards square leg for a run to open his account.

Done with the pre-match formalities! The sun is shining brightly here in Chepauk. We can see the Kiwi players spread out from the huddle and take up the fielding positions. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are the two openers for Afghanistan. Matt Henry has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. A slip in place. Let's play...

It is now time for the national anthems as Rashid Khan and Mitchell Santner lead their respective teams out to the middle, with Afghanistan's anthem coming first before New Zealand's follows.

The captain of New Zealand - Mitchell Santner says that they were thinking about bowling first but were not sure. Adds that there is a bit of grass on the wicket, which is unlike Chennai. Mentions that they have had a hectic schedule travelling all around the country for the series against India. Says that they were struggling a bit with some niggles here and there but everyone is up and running which is good. Informs that Ish Sodhi, Devon Conway, Michael Bracewell, and Kyle Jamieson miss out.