![Afghanistan will take on New Zealand [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1770524491743_NZ vs AFG.jpg)
Afghanistan will take on New Zealand [Source: AFP]
New Zealand are facing Afghanistan in Match No. 4 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is a Group D clash. The match is being played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, February 8, and both teams will be eager to begin their campaign with a win.
Notably, New Zealand come into this match after suffering a 4-1 series loss against India. As a result, their confidence might be slightly shaken. However, the positive takeaway from that series is their improved understanding of playing on Indian pitches, especially those that help spinners.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, have prepared well ahead of the tournament and look confident going into this match. They have a well-balanced squad that combines young talent with experienced players.
Adding to their confidence, Afghanistan come into this contest with strong momentum after defeating the West Indies in a three-match series in January.
AFG vs NZ Match 4: Toss update
Afghanistan won the toss and opt to bat first against Black Caps.
AFG vs NZ Match 4: Playing XIs
Afghanistan Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (vc), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
New Zealand Playing XI: Finn Allen (wk), Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
AFG vs NZ Match 4: Captains Thoughts
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan Captain): "We will bat first. (On the importance of experience in big tournaments) It makes a big difference. We’ve played a lot of cricket - ICC events and matches all around the world. All the players in this team have plenty of experience, but the key thing is how you use that experience. You have to play smart cricket. I think that’s the most important part. We’re fully ready for this tournament and hopefully we can deliver some strong performances.
(On the bowling combination after choosing to bat first) Yes, we have three specialist spinners - myself, Mujeeb, and Nabi. But I also feel this wicket will offer something for the fast bowlers if they bowl in the right areas. That’s one of the reasons we decided to bat first and put runs on the board.
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand Captain): (On whether he would have bowled first) I was definitely thinking about it. There’s a bit of grass on the surface - in my years of captaincy, I don’t think I’ve seen this much grass here, so I think it should play pretty well overall.
(On preparations after the India series) Preparations have been good. The India series was hectic with a lot of travel around the country, but we managed to get a few days in Mumbai, which was nice. We also had a good warm-up game, and now that we’re here, we’re ready to go.
