New Zealand opened their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a comfortable five-wicket win against Afghanistan, chasing down a target of 183 with 13 balls to spare at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. After early setbacks left them reeling at 14/2, following the quick dismissals of Finn Allen for a duck and Rachin Ravindra for one, Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips steadied the innings with a crucial 74-run partnership. Phillips struck a brisk 42 off 25 deliveries, while Seifert anchored the chase with a composed 65 from 42 balls.






