New Zealand thrashed the United Arab Emirates by 10 wickets in the 11th game of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The Mitchell Santner-led team successfully chased a target of 174 runs with 28 balls remaining. Tim Seifert remained unbeaten on 89 off 42 balls, while Finn Allen also remained not out with 84 off 50 balls. The pair achieved the target in 15.2 overs.
Seifert and Allen put on an unbeaten 175-run partnership for the first wicket, setting a record for the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 World Cups. Allen hit five fours and five sixes, while Seifert struck 12 fours and three sixes.
New Zealand have now won both their games in the tournament and continue their undefeated run. The team is also unbeaten in Chennai across all formats since 2011. They maintained a steady scoring rate throughout the innings, reaching 78 without loss in the powerplay.
Earlier, after winning the toss, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem elected to bat first in their opening match of the World Cup. The UAE posted a total of 173 for 6 wickets, with strong contributions from Waseem and Alishan Sharafu.
Sharafu scored 55 runs off 47 balls, including five fours and two sixes. He and Waseem built a second-wicket partnership of 107 runs, the second-highest for UAE in T20 internationals.
New Zealand responded by taking two quick wickets, dismissing Sharafu and Harshit Kaushik, reducing UAE to 124 for 3. However, Waseem remained unbeaten on 66 off 45 balls, including four fours and three sixes, while Mayank Kumar contributed 21 runs.
In the final overs, Matt Henry took two wickets in the last two balls, while Jacob Duffy, Santner, Lockie Ferguson, and Glenn Phillips claimed one wicket each.
New Zealand will face South Africa in their next Group D fixture at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 14. The UAE will play Canada at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on February 13.
- Agencies
