"New Zealand pulled off a steep chase against Afghanistan's spin-heavy attack to begin their ICC Men's Twenty20 World Cup campaign with a five-wicket victory in a Group D match in the south Indian city of Chennai on Sunday. In the 2024 edition of the tournament, it was a loss to Afghanistan that put New Zealand on the path to an early exit, but Mitchell Santner and his team did not let history repeat itself."
"Gulbadin Naib's rapid 63 provided the bedrock of Afghanistan's strong 182-6 following skipper Rashid Khan's decision to bat first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Tim Seifert (65) and Glenn Phillips (42) helped New Zealand overcome a top-order wobble and chase down the target with 13 balls to spare. It's always nice to start the tournament with a few runs, but the main thing is we got the win, player of the match Seifert said."
"When New Zealand began their chase, wily off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman was pressed into service in the second over, immediately dismissing opener Finn Allen and next man in Rachin Ravindra both bowled in successive deliveries to stun the Kiwis. Seifert and Phillips then fought fire with fire in a 74-run partnership off 47 balls that put the pressure back on Afghanistan."
Afghanistan posted 182-6 after electing to bat, with Gulbadin Naib’s rapid 63 off 35 providing the backbone of the total at MA Chidambaram Stadium. Lockie Ferguson struck twice in the final powerplay over to reduce Afghanistan to 44-2, but Naib and Sediqullah Atal rebuilt before Afghanistan scored 110 in the last 10 overs on a spin-friendly surface. New Zealand began poorly when Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra in successive deliveries, but Tim Seifert (65) and Glenn Phillips (42) added a 74-run partnership that guided New Zealand to a five-wicket win with 13 balls remaining.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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