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New Zealand dominated the United Arab Emirates in match 11 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
The Mitchell Santner-led side thumped the UAE by 10 wickets after successfully chasing a challenging target of 174 runs with 28 balls to spare. Tim Seifert (89 not out off 42 balls) and Finn Allen (84 not out off 50 balls) remained unbeaten and took the Blackcaps past the target in just 15.2 overs. They are unbeaten in this World Cup with two wins in as many matches. While chasing the target, Allen hit five fours and as many sixes, whereas Seifert hit 12 fours and three sixes. The duo added 175 runs for the first wicket, which is also the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 World Cups. Unbeaten in Chennai in any format since 2011, New Zealand flexed their muscle in the chase. They hit fifth gear in the second over, and kept up the tempo almost all through. With Seifert and Allen in punishing mood, New Zealand put on 78/0 in the first six overs, including 20 in the sixth over. It was just the start the Kiwis needed to thwart any hopes of an upset for the UAE. Earlier, the UAE captain Muhammad Waseem won the toss and elected to bat first. Playing their first match of the World Cup, the UAE put up a spirited show with the bat, finishing at 173/6. Despite losing Aryansh Sharma early, UAE motored to 50/1 in powerplay as captain Waseem and Alishan Sharafu relieved the pressure with some big hits. They put on 107, which is the second-highest second-wicket partnership for the UAE in T20Is. The Kerala-born Sharafu scored 55 off just 47 balls, with the help of five fours and two sixes. New Zealand pegged them back with two quick wickets. Captain Mitchell Santner dismissed Sharafu while Glenn Phillips sent back Harshit Kaushik within the space of 10 balls and five runs, reducing UAE to 124/3. Despite the setback, Waseem continued to plunder runs. The UAE captain carried the bat through for an unbeaten 66 off 45 balls, slamming four fours and three sixes during the innings. Mayank Kumar also chipped in with a cameo of 21. Matt Henry snapped two wickets off the last two balls of the innings, while Jacob Duffy, Santner, Lockie Ferguson and Phillips claimed a wicket apiece. Now, New Zealand will take on South Africa in their next Group D fixture at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 14. The UAE, on the other hand, will clash with Canada at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on February 13. (ANI)
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