Afghanistan posted 182 runs for the loss of six wickets after electing to bat first against New Zealand in the fourth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium today.
Gulbadin Naib top-scored with 63 runs, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz contributed 27, Sediqullah Atal added 29, and Darwish Rasooli scored 20 runs. Ibrahim Zadran managed 10 runs before being dismissed.
Lockie Ferguson picked up 2 crucial wickets for New Zealand.
Both teams are looking to make a strong start in Group D, which also features South Africa, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. With just two previous T20I encounters between them, the head-to-head record is evenly balanced at 1-1, adding extra intensity to today’s clash.
Playing XIs:
New Zealand: 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: 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.
