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The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener for New Zealand and Afghanistan is all set to get underway at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai. Rashid Khan won the toss for Afghanistan and chose to bat first, saying he wants to “put runs on the board on a fresh wicket” and expects “more help for our spinners later on.”
Afghanistan will rely on their experienced trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi in the middle overs, supported by pacers Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Ziaur Rahman Sharifi.
Follow LIVE | New Zealand vs Afghanistan, T20 World Cup 2026 Group D match
Rashid added, “We’ve players who’ve played all around the globe, so we’re fully ready. We need to bat well first and then set it up for the bowlers.” The Afghan batting line-up features Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Gulbadin Naib.
T20 World Cup 2026: News | Schedule | Results | Points Table
New Zealand, meanwhile, are entering the tournament with several fitness concerns. Mitchell Santner, the Kiwi captain, confirmed that Ish Sodhi, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, and Kyle Jamieson will all miss out. “We were thinking about the conditions here, some grass in Chennai, but not much. We’ve had a tough series against India, travelled a lot, and spent time in Mumbai. Everyone else is up, which is nice,” Santner said.
New Zealand’s Playing XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
Afghanistan’s Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi
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