T20 World Cup 2026: New Zealand vs Afghanistan, Match 4 – Full highlights, top moments and everything you need to know

In match number 4, New Zealand and Afghanistan locked horns in a fast-paced, high-scoring game of T20 World Cup 2026 where New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by a comfortable margin. Taking first strike, Afghanistan put up a total of 182 runs for 6 wicket outs with Gulabadien Naib scoring 63 runs from only 35 balls to key the attack. Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohamad Nabi also scored alot of runs in the late innings as each wrapped up the Afghanistan innings not outs and their batting performance was stellar and strong. New Zealand's bowlers maintained the same discipline, but it was Mitchell Santner who was most impressive with the ball.

In reply, the Black Caps started aggressively, but Mujeeb Ur Rahman quickly dashed New Zealand's excitement by scalping two wickets within a short period of time; although, the two early wickets did not knock off the momentum of the innings. New Zealand's Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips executed a calm partnership that produced much needed batting performance without taking any undue chances. Both batsmen efficiently rotated strike and waited for their scoring opportunities. This methodical approach allowed them to continue along on pace to satisfy the required run rate and effectively kept Afghanistan's bowlers from executing their plans during the middle overs of the New Zealand innings.

Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner provided the finishing touches to seal the win via the chase, both contributing greatly to their team's desire for victory. Daryl Mitchell scored an impressive 25 in just 14 balls. Meanwhile, Santner’s contribution of 28 off 17 also went towards New Zealand’s impressive finish. A few of the ends of the innings revealed more than one way for Afghanistan to struggle against the fast bowler. Rashid Khan had a tough time in bowling and allowed an excessive amount of runs (36). Mujeeb was economical with his bowling and had little impact; it translated into New Zealand exceeding the target, with five wickets to spare and 13 balls remained.

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Top batting performance from NZ vs AFG, Match 4: Tim Seifert 

The major factor for New Zealand's success in chasing a target of 125 runs was Tim Seifert's brilliant batters performance of scoring 65 runs off 42 balls. His aggressive style scored 12 runs in the first over. As New Zealand started to lose wickets at an alarming rate he took it upon himself to carry the team forward and score runs whether it was with running between the wickets or hitting the ball wherever he wanted. He was in total command of his innings clearing the ropes on three distinct occasions and also finding the boundary on seven occasions. The New Zealand innings was now very well under control. Seifert would eventually be dismissed by Mohammad Nabi but by that point, the result of the match was already decided.

Top bowling performance from NZ vs AFG, Match 4: Lockie Ferguson

With timely breakthroughs with the ball, Lockie Ferguson spearheaded New Zealand's bowling attack from the very beginning, preventing Afghanistan from building their early momentum. Ferguson only collected 40 runs in his four overs, but provided the two most important wickets of the powerplay period by removing both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran during the same over. These wickets pushed Afghanistan on to the back foot and disrupted their early plans, until Gulbadin Naib's half-century helped stabilize the innings and rebuild the total.

Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved

• New Zealand registered their highest successful run chase in T20 World Cup history.
• Tim Seifert became the fifth-fastest player to reach 2,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced.
• Seifert also became the fifth New Zealand batter to cross 2,000 runs in T20 internationals.
• Afghanistan’s total of 182/6 stands as their fourth-highest team score in T20 World Cup history.
• Gulbadin Naib’s 63 runs is the second-highest individual score for Afghanistan in a T20 World Cup match while batting at No. 3 or lower.

Player of the Match: Tim Seifert

Tim Seifert's 65 runs made him a worthy recipient of the Player of the Match award. Tim's performance included three sixes and seven fours and came after the loss of several early wickets, he managed to maintain a positive attitude and didn't allow pressure to build on him as he played to his strengths and chased down New Zealand's target with careful planning and good shot selection. The New Zealand batter's calmness and good shot selection allowed the Kiwis to control the game from start to finish and this was a key factor in New Zealand's comprehensive win.

The Kiwis will be aiming for their third consecutive victory in Chennai against the United Arab Emirates on February 10th as part of the tournament. Afghanistan will test themselves against the number one ranked team South Africa on February 11th in Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. The game against South Africa is expected to be a high-profile match for Afghanistan.