It was a fantastic start to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 with three high-profile games. Now, the action shifts to the second day, which will begin with a game in Group C. New Zealand, who have been in India since last month, are ready to take on the giant-slayer Afghanistan. This contest will be live from MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on February 8 (Sunday) at 11 AM IST. New Zealand had a tough time in the T20I series against India.
They lost 1-4, but Afghanistan might not pose that batting threat. But things will be different because this game will be played in spin-friendly conditions, and Afghanistan can be very dangerous in these conditions. Afghanistan beat New Zealand last time these two teams met in the T20 World Cup. So, it won’t be a surprise if they do it again. But Afghanistan have been a little poor while chasing. So, what if they have to bowl first?
NZ vs AFG: Match Info.
- · Series: ICC T20 World Cup 2026
- · Match: New Zealand vs Afghanistan, Match 4
- · Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
- · Time: 11:00 AM IST
- · Date: February 08, 2026 (Sunday)
NZ vs AFG: Head-to-Head: NZ (1) – AFG (1)
The upcoming game will be the third meeting between New Zealand and Afghanistan in the shorter format. Both sides have settled with one win each.
NZ vs AFG: Pitch Report
The wicket is expected to be slow in Chennai. Traditionally, spinners get more out of the wicket at MA Chidambaram Stadium because of the black soil used in the wicket. This will get slower, and the ball will grip the surface, making it a little challenging to time the ball. Hence, it can be wise to bat here.
NZ vs AFG: Live Streaming Details
- · TV: Star Sports Network
- · Digital: Jio Hotstar (App or Website)
NZ vs AFG: Weather Report
The weather forecast for Sunday indicates cloudy conditions with humidity of 60-65 percent. The highest temperature to be recorded was around 29°C with a moderate wind speed of 13 kmph.
NZ vs AFG: Last Five Results
Afghanistan: W, W, W, W, L
New Zealand: L, L, L, W, L
New Zealand vs Afghanistan: Predicted XIs:
New Zealand: F. Allen, T. Seifert (wk), M. Chapman, G. Phillips, D. Mitchell, M. Santner (c), J. Neesham, K. Jamieson, M. Henry, J. Duffy, I. Sodhi
USA: R. Gurbaz (wk), I. Zadran, S. Atal, D. Rasooli, A. Omarzai, G. Naib, Md. Nabi, R. Khan (c), M. Ur Rahman, N. Ahmad, F. Farooqi
NZ vs AFG: Players to Watch out for
Afghanistan: Azmatullah Omarzai has been the X-factor for Afghanistan. He has been contributing with bat and ball consistently for them in the white-ball format.
New Zealand: Finn Allen will be a big threat for this game. He can take the pitch out of the game and take the game away in the powerplay only.
New Zealand vs Afghanistan Today’s Match Prediction: Predicting one team among these two sides can be difficult. Because if we look at the history in Chennai, the teams with good spinners have done well here. That is what Afghanistan bring to the table. But New Zealand, with their experience, combination, and quality of players, can be very difficult opposition.
New Zealand also have good spinners, including captain Mitchell Santner, who has played for Chennai Super Kings for several seasons. Afghanistan can match New Zealand in terms of bowling, but with the bat, New Zealand hold an edge. Their powerful batting unit gives them an edge in this game. Afghanistan have also struggled whenever they have chased. So, they will hope that the toss can go in their favor.
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