New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 5 wickets in the first match of Group 'D' of the Twenty20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday.

New Zealand topped the group with 2 points after the win in Chennai. This win over their Test rivals will keep New Zealand motivated and make them strong contenders for a place in the Super Eights.  

Chasing 183 runs for victory, New Zealand scored 183 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 17.5 overs. Opener Tim Seifert scored 65 runs in 42 balls. He hit 7 fours and 3 sixes to lay the foundation for the victory. Similarly, Glenn Phillips scored 42 and Mark Chapman scored 28 runs. Mujeeb Rahman took 2 wickets among the Afghan bowlers.

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first and scored 182 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Gulbadin Naib contributed the most to this. He scored 63 runs in 35 balls. Batting third, he hit 3 fours and 4 sixes. Sediqullah Atal scored 29 and opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 27. Among the New Zealand bowlers, Lockie Ferguson took two wickets for 40 runs.