A scintillating 42-ball 65 from Tim Seifert guided New Zealand to a commanding victory over Afghanistan in the 4th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
After winning the toss, Afghanistan posted a competitive 182/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Gulbadin Naib starred with the bat, smashing 63 off 35 balls, while Sediqullah Atal contributed 29. For New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry picked up key wickets to restrict the scoring.
In reply, New Zealand got off to a shaky start, losing Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra early. However, Seifert steadied the chase with an aggressive yet controlled innings, supported by Glenn Phillips (42) and Mark Chapman (28).
Late fireworks from Daryl Mitchell (25)* and Mitchell Santner (17)* ensured New Zealand reached the target in just 17.5 overs, finishing on 183/5 and sealing a convincing win.
New Zealand XI
Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (capt), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
Afghanistan XI
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (capt), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ziaur Rahman, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
