UAE won the toss and elected to bat in Match 11 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The Group D encounter was played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on February 10, 2026. This was UAE’s first match of the tournament while New Zealand entered with momentum after beating Afghanistan in their opening game. Only six players in New Zealand’s squad had faced UAE before in international cricket.
New Zealand was led by captain Mitchell Santner with explosive openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen at the top. UAE captain Muhammad Waseem led his side with allrounder Alishan Sharafu as a key player. UAE had sent Muhammad Zohaib home for disciplinary reasons before this match. The scorching Chennai weather made conditions challenging for both teams.
UAE posted a competitive 173 runs for 6 wickets in their 20 overs. Captain Muhammad Waseem top-scored with an unbeaten 66 off 45 balls. Alishan Sharafu contributed a fine 55 off 47 balls. New Zealand chased down the target in just 15.2 overs without losing a wicket. Tim Seifert smashed 89 off 42 balls and Finn Allen hit 84 off 50 balls in a record-breaking opening partnership.
Match Summary
| Team | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | 173/6 | 20.0 |
| New Zealand | 175/0 | 15.2 |
| Result | New Zealand won by 10 wickets (28 balls remaining) | |
UAE Posts Competitive Total
UAE lost wicketkeeper Aryansh Sharma early in the innings. Jacob Duffy bowled a short ball that rushed Sharma into a top-edged pull. Glenn Phillips ran in from long leg to take the catch. UAE were 12 for 1 after 1.3 overs. Captain Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu then built a match-defining partnership.
Waseem and Sharafu added 107 runs for the second wicket. This was UAE’s first 50-run opening stand in the powerplay across seven World Cup games. Sharafu reached his fifty off 39 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes. He played some beautiful sweeps and drives before being dismissed for 55 runs. Mark Chapman took a stunning relay catch at the deep midwicket boundary off Mitchell Santner’s bowling.
Waseem continued his fine form and reached his fifty off 37 balls. He hit 4 fours and 3 sixes during his innings of 66 not out. Glenn Phillips conceded 27 runs in a costly 18th over but also picked up the wicket of Harshit Kaushik. Mayank Kumar provided late fireworks with 21 runs off 13 balls before Lockie Ferguson dismissed him.
Matt Henry picked up two wickets in the final over. He dismissed Sohaib Khan for 7 runs and Muhammad Arfan for a duck off consecutive deliveries. UAE finished at 173 for 6 which was their sixth-highest T20I total against a Full Member nation.
Top Batting Performances
| Batter | Team | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Seifert | New Zealand | 89* | 42 | 12 | 3 |
| Finn Allen | New Zealand | 84* | 50 | 5 | 5 |
| Muhammad Waseem | UAE | 66* | 45 | 4 | 3 |
| Alishan Sharafu | UAE | 55 | 47 | 5 | 2 |
| Mayank Kumar | UAE | 21 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
New Zealand Openers Create History
New Zealand openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen launched a brutal assault from the very first over. They raced to 50 runs in just 4.3 overs without losing a wicket. Seifert was the more aggressive of the two and struck boundaries at will. The pair smashed 78 runs in the powerplay at a run rate of 13 per over.
Seifert brought up his fifty in just 23 balls. This was the second-fastest fifty of the tournament. He continued to dominate the UAE bowlers and found gaps all around the ground. Allen matched his partner’s aggression and reached his own fifty off 27 balls. UAE survived a review for LBW against Seifert which was struck down on umpire’s call.
The opening pair brought up their 100-run partnership in just 51 balls. They then crossed 150 runs in 79 balls. UAE had no answers to the relentless hitting from both batters. Seifert finished unbeaten on 89 runs off 42 balls with 12 fours and 3 sixes. Allen remained not out on 84 runs off 50 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes.
Seifert finished the match in style with a massive six over long-off off Muhammad Rohid. The unbeaten 175-run opening stand became the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 World Cup history. New Zealand completed the chase in just 15.2 overs to register their second consecutive win and top Group D.
Top Bowling Performances
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Henry | New Zealand | 4 | 37 | 2 | 9.25 |
| Mitchell Santner | New Zealand | 4 | 23 | 1 | 5.75 |
| Lockie Ferguson | New Zealand | 4 | 35 | 1 | 8.75 |
| Jacob Duffy | New Zealand | 2 | 16 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Haider Ali | UAE | 4 | 27 | 0 | 6.75 |
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Player of the Match: Tim Seifert
Tim Seifert won the Player of the Match award for his match-winning innings of 89 not out off 42 balls. He struck 12 fours and 3 sixes at a strike rate of 211.90. Seifert reached his fifty in just 23 balls, which was the second-fastest of the tournament. He formed a record-breaking partnership of 175 runs with Finn Allen.
This stand became the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 World Cup history. Seifert finished the chase in style with a towering six over long-off to seal New Zealand’s dominant 10-wicket victory.
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