The fourth match of the ICC T20 World Cup will take us to the southern coast of India where New Zealand will lock horns against Afghanistan in their opening encounter. This will just be the third meeting between the two sides at the World Cup with both teams being tied on one win each. The Black Caps arrive in Chennai on the back of a poor India tour where they lost four games.

New Zealand are seeking consistency and there’s no better way to get back to form than this clash. Afghanistan are flying high with a spirit of confidence and good results under their belt. Their robust balling unit coupled with their fearless batting order makes them one of the favourites to qualify for the Super 8 from Group D. Both teams will be poised to get an early breakthrough and set the right tone for the remainder of the championship.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Probable Playing XI

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (C), Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan (C), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq.

Also Read: New Zeland vs Afghanistan Head to Head Records

Toss Prediction

The toss will have an influential role to play in this game since it is a day game. The team batting first will have a good advantage given the track record on this pitch. We expect Rashid Khan to win the toss and elect to bat first and set a good total to defend.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Toss history

H2H matches – 2

2021 – Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat

2024 – New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl

Weather Forecast

The game will be played in Chennai and the weather is expected to be humid and hot because it is going to be a day game. The highest expected temperature is going to be 29°C and there are absolutely no signs of rain.

Pitch Report

The surface at MA Chidambaram Stadium is pretty good for batting first. In ten T20I games, the teams batting first have emerged victorious six times. Chennai has always been known as a bowler friendly pitch and there will be a lot of help for the spinners, especially for Noor Ahmad who knows the ground very well. The average score here is between 160-170.

Streaming Details

The T20 World Cup 2026 match between New Zealand vs Afghanistan will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.The match will start at 11am IST on Sunday, February 8.

TV channel: Star Sports Network channels

Live stream: JioHotstar app and website