Tim Seifert’s half-century and Glenn Phillips’s brisk 42 guided New Zealand to a five-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the fourth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a challenging target of 183, the Blackcaps reached the target with five wickets down and 13 balls to spare, powered by a crucial third-wicket stand between Seifert and Phillips.
New Zealand suffered an early setback when Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra on consecutive deliveries in the second over. At 14/2, Phillips joined Seifert, and the pair rebuilt the innings with a rapid 74-run partnership. Rashid Khan eventually ended the stand by removing Phillips for 42 off 25 balls, which included seven fours and a six.
Seifert then added 36 runs with Mark Chapman before departing for a top-scoring 65 off 42 balls, featuring 10 boundaries, including three sixes. Chapman also chipped in with 28 off 17 deliveries before falling in the 16th over.
Daryl Mitchell and captain Mitchell Santner then finished the chase with an unbeaten 33-run partnership. Mitchell scored 25 not out off 14 balls, while Santner remained unbeaten on 17 off eight deliveries. For Afghanistan, Mujeeb claimed two wickets, while Rashid, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mohammad Nabi took one each.
Earlier, Afghanistan posted 182/6 after opting to bat first. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran provided a steady start before Lockie Ferguson dismissed both openers. After a middle-order recovery led by Sediqullah Atal and Najibullah Naib, Naib top-scored with 63 off 35 balls. Late contributions from Nabi and Omarzai pushed the total past 180. Ferguson led New Zealand’s bowling with 2/40, while Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, and Ravindra took one wicket each.
