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

Mohammad Nabi to Tim Seifert, SIX! FIFTY FOR SEIFERT! A maiden T20 World Cup half-century, and he brings it up with a bang as well. Mohammad Nabi drops it short again, on middle and leg. Tim Seifert is quick to go on the back foot and whacks it over the deep square leg fence for a biggie. This has been an excellent knock under pressure, but he knows the job is not done yet.

Mohammad Nabi to Tim Seifert, Flatter, short and around leg, Tim Seifert misses his flick as the ball goes off his pads towards short fine.

Mohammad Nabi is now introduced into the attack. 75 more runs are needed off the last 8 overs.

Rashid Khan to Mark Chapman, Dragged back and on middle, Mark Chapman pulls it to mid-wicket.

Rashid Khan to Mark Chapman, Flighted, full and on middle, Mark Chapman bunts it wide of long off, where the fielder dives to his left and pushes it back inside. Two taken.

Rashid Khan to Tim Seifert, Short and outside off, Tim Seifert cuts it to deep point for one.

How costly will this turn out to be? Tim Seifert has been dropped by the skipper himself on 48.

Rashid Khan to Tim Seifert, Short and on leg, Tim Seifert turns it to the leg side.

Rashid Khan to Tim Seifert, DROPPED! Rashid Khan drops it short and on off, Tim Seifert looks to punch it away but the ball stops on him. He ends up lobbing it back towards the bowler, where Rashid gets a hand on it but it pops out. He turns around and stretches, gets fingertips on it but fails to hold on. A tough chance but should have been taken. 

Rashid Khan to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Powered away! Tossed up, full and on middle, Tim Seifert clears his front leg away and thumps it over the bowler's head, beating Mohammad Nabi to his left at long on for a boundary. That also brings up 2000 T20I runs for Seifert.

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, Hard length and on off, slower again, Tim Seifert pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, Right in the blockhole, on middle, tailing in, Tim Seifert digs it out on the pitch.

Ziaur Rahman to Mark Chapman, Bangs this into the pitch and around off, takes pace off. Mark Chapman comes down the track again and punches it wide of mid off. Sediqullah Atal dives to his right to save a few runs for his team. They cross. 100 UP FOR THE KIWIS!

Ziaur Rahman to Mark Chapman, Fuller delivery, outside off, Mark Chapman makes a bit of room and drills it wide of sweeper cover. Azmatullah Omarzai runs to his left and makes a good sliding stop. Two taken.

Ziaur Rahman to Mark Chapman, FOUR! Great shot! Back of a length and on middle, not short enough to trouble the batter. Mark Chapman gets on top of it and heaves it to the deep mid-wicket fence for a boundary.

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, Short of a length and outside off, Tim Seifert waits for it, hops up and slaps it through covers for a single.

Rashid Khan to Mark Chapman, Fired into the batter, on middle and leg. Mark Chapman keeps it out. Rashid bounces back after an ordinary first over. 

Rashid Khan to Mark Chapman, Quicker and flatter around off, Mark Chapman cuts this to sweeper cover for a couple of runs. 

Rashid Khan to Tim Seifert, Tossed up, around off, Tim Seifert smashes this just past the bowler to his left for a single down to long off.

Rashid Khan to Mark Chapman, Full and around off, Mark Chapman punches this to long off for a single. 

A big breakthrough for Afghanistan as they put an end to the threatening 74-run stand. Mark Chapman is the next man in.

Rashid Khan to Glenn Phillips, OUT! CHOPPED ON! Rashid Khan strikes and sends Glenn Phillips back to the dugout. The Afghan skipper is very animated in his celebration. Flighted wide outside off, Glenn Phillips backs away and looks to loft this over the covers region but ends up getting an inside edge that goes back onto the stumps. Glenn Phillips departs after playing a good hand of 42 off 25 balls. New Zealand are 88/3, still needing 95 runs in 64 balls.

Change of ends for Rashid Khan.

Rashid Khan to Tim Seifert, Tossed up, on middle and leg, Tim Seifert flicks this through mid-wicket for one.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Tim Seifert, Good length around the pads, Tim Seifert milks this through square leg for a run.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Glenn Phillips, Full and on middle and leg, Glenn Phillips tucks this through mid-wicket for one.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Glenn Phillips, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries for Glenn and he races to 41 off 23 balls. Short and around the pads, Glenn Phillips helps this for a boundary behind the stumps towards the fine leg region. 

Azmatullah Omarzai to Glenn Phillips, FOUR! Fast hands from GP and the ball races to the fence for four. Short and around off, Glenn Phillips hops up on his toes and cuts this with fast hands. The ball races to the right of the fielder at the deep third region for four. 

Azmatullah Omarzai to Tim Seifert, Good length onto the pads, Tim Seifert works this through square leg for a single. 

Azmatullah Omarzai comes back into the attack now. He conceded 11 runs in his first over.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Glenn Phillips, Hard length on off, Glenn Phillips punches this to sweeper cover for a strike rotation. 

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, Good length on the pads, Tim Seifert flicks this along the ground through the gap at mid-wicket for a couple of runs. 

Ziaur Rahman to Glenn Phillips, Back of a length around off, Glenn Phillips hops up on his toes and punches this to sweeper cover for a single. 

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, Full and wide around off, Tim Seifert gets it edged to the third man region for a single. 

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, Back of a length around middle and leg, just over the stumps. Tim Seifert swings across the line and misses.

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, WIDE! Short and way too wide of off. Wided.

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, Wide yorker around off, Tim Seifert rolls this to the right of short extra cover for no run.

Ziaur Rahman to Tim Seifert, NO BALL! Good length on theTim Seifert works this through the mid-wicket region for a couple of runs. The siren goes around the ground, signalling that Ziaur Rahman has overstepped. Free Hit to follow.

Ziaur Rahman to Glenn Phillips, Good length on middle and leg, Glenn Phillips flicks this through square leg for one.

Not the best of first overs from Rashid Khan. Here is Ziaur Rahman replacing Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Rashid Khan to Glenn Phillips, Short again but a touch quicker, on middle and off, Glenn Phillips flat-bats this to Atal at deep mid-wicket for just one this time. This was hit powerfully and flat but lands just short of the fielder. 14 from Rashid's first. 

Rashid Khan to Glenn Phillips, FOUR! A boundary to follow the biggie. Short and on middle and leg, Glenn Phillips picks the length early, rocks back and pulls this flat to the left of Sediqullah Atal at deep mid-wicket for four runs. That brings up the 50-run partnership for this pair.

Rashid Khan to Glenn Phillips, SIX! Glenn Phillips is at the peak of his game. Tossed up, around off, Glenn Phillips backs away a touch and smashes this down the ground for a biggie over the sight screen. 

Rashid Khan to Tim Seifert, Tossed up, around the pads, Tim Seifert flicks this to long on for a strike rotation. 

Rashid Khan to Glenn Phillips, Quicker one, into the batter. Glenn Phillips drills this down to long on for a single. 

Rashid Khan to Tim Seifert, Floated around off, Tim Seifert rolls this through covers for a run. 

DRINKS! Afghanistan were 44/2 at the end of the Powerplay, while New Zealand are 52/2. The Kiwis are slightly ahead in terms of runs, but they were rocked early by Mujeeb Ur Rahman. However, Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips are in the rebuilding phase, their real test will be how they tackle the middle overs, where Afghanistan will look to choke them with quality spin bowling. Talking about quality spin, and Rashid Khan brings himself into the attack now.