Seifert, Phillips spark NZ comeback to chase down Afghanistan in T20 World Cup
Seifert, Phillips spark NZ comeback to chase down Afghanistan in T20 World Cup
Tim Seifert's fifty guides New Zealand to a five-wicket win over Afghanistan in their T20 World Cup opener, sealing the highest chase in NZ history.
New Zealand pulled off their highest run chase in T20 World Cup history as they opened Group D with a five-wicket victory over Afghanistan. Afghanistan had posted 182-6, with Gulbadin Naib delivering a pugnacious 63 off 35 balls, including three fours and four sixes at a blistering 180.00 strike rate. NZ’s early struggles were evident as Mujeeb Ur Rahman removed Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra for 1 and 0 respectively, snapping a promising start.
Seifert and Glenn Phillips steadied the innings with a third-wicket stand of 74, but Phillips fell for 42 off 25, bowled by Rashid Khan as NZ looked to rebuild. Seifert then blasted back-to-back sixes off Mohammad Nabi to bring up his half-century, only to fall soon after when Rashid accounted for him, hoisting the ball to square leg. Mark Chapman provided a twist in the tale with 28, and once Rashid and Mujeeb were undone, Mitchell and Santner steadied the ship to seal the chase.
Lockie Ferguson was the pick of NZ’s bowlers earlier, finishing with 2-40 as Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy and Rachin Ravindra chipped in with a wicket apiece. Afghanistan’s strong 182 target looked daunting, but NZ kept nerves in check and completed the chase with damper-free composure.
The game underscored New Zealand’s capability to navigate a tricky start and finish strongly, aided by Seifert’s patient innings and a measured finish from Mitchell and Santner. It also highlighted Afghanistan’s reliance on spin—Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman posed early questions, while the rest of the batting lineup needed to lift to mount a defendable total.
Looking ahead, Afghanistan will hope to tighten their batting and leverage spin-heavy approaches against other sides, while New Zealand will aim to build on this momentum as the group stage progresses. The result keeps NZ firmly in the hunt in Group D and reinforces the drama of World Cup cricket on multiple fronts.
