Chennai, Feb 8 (NationPress) New Zealand achieved a remarkable five-wicket victory, successfully chasing down a target of 183 with 15 balls remaining, propelled by a balanced yet aggressive batting display led by Tim Seifert. This win marked a strong start to their T20 World Cup journey at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, allowing the Kiwis to avenge their previous tournament loss to Afghanistan and secure the first two points in Group D.

The chase commenced on a shaky note as Afghanistan's spinners struck early blows. Finn Allen was dismissed for just 1 run, and Rachin Ravindra followed him without scoring, both falling victim to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, leaving New Zealand at 14/2 within two overs. Sensing an opportunity, Afghanistan aimed to capitalize, but Seifert's steadying presence ensured the innings remained on track.

Seifert counterattacked boldly, combining powerful hitting with intelligent placement. His impressive innings of 65 runs off 42 balls, which included seven fours and three sixes, shifted the momentum back to New Zealand and set the tone for the chase. He was well-supported by Glenn Phillips, who contributed a fiery 42 runs off 25 balls, targeting Rashid Khan whenever he faltered in length. Their partnership of 74 runs firmly established New Zealand ahead of the required run rate.

Afghanistan briefly fought back when Rashid Khan dismissed Phillips and later took out Mark Chapman (28 runs off 17 balls), who had provided a lively contribution. Seifert's exit at 124/4 in the 13th over kept the contest interesting, but New Zealand was left needing less than eight runs per over.

The finish was sharp and efficient. Daryl Mitchell (25* off 14) and captain Mitchell Santner (17* off 8) ensured that there were no further setbacks, accelerating decisively in the closing overs to complete the chase at 183/5 in 17.5 overs, with Santner scoring at over 200.

For Afghanistan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/31) was the standout performer with the ball, while Rashid Khan (1/36) took crucial wickets but was relatively expensive. The remainder of the bowling attack struggled to manage New Zealand's counterattack, particularly as the field spread.

Despite Afghanistan's competitive score of 182/6, New Zealand's depth and poise during the chase proved pivotal, highlighting their batting strength and capacity to handle early pressure before retaliating.

Earlier, Afghanistan showcased a well-paced batting effort, reaching 182/6 with a strong middle-over performance led by Gulbadin Naib.

The innings demonstrated intent from the outset but was stifled by early dismissals. Ibrahim Zadran was caught by Phillips off Lockie Ferguson in the sixth over, and shortly after, Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a brisk 27 runs off 22 balls, also to Ferguson, leaving Afghanistan at 44/2 in need of stability.

That stability came from Naib, who initially rebuilt before expertly increasing the scoring rate. His 63 runs off 35 balls formed the cornerstone of the innings, as he targeted New Zealand's spinners effectively through the middle overs, consistently finding the boundary and maintaining a high run rate. Naib received valuable support from Sediqullah Atal, whose 29 runs off 24 balls ensured steady momentum without unnecessary risks.

In the closing stages, Darwish Rasooli injected pace with a quick 20 runs off 13 balls, helping Afghanistan surpass 160 by the 18th over. Even after Naib's dismissal late in the innings, Afghanistan managed to finish strong with contributions from Omarzai (14 off 7) and Nabi (10* off 7), pushing their total beyond par on a pitch that favored aggressive play.

New Zealand's bowling performance was mixed. Ferguson (2/40) made early inroads, while Matt Henry remained disciplined with the new ball, but inconsistencies in the middle overs allowed Afghanistan to sustain a scoring rate exceeding nine runs per over.

New Zealand is set to face the UAE in the 11th match of the tournament on Tuesday, while Afghanistan will take on South Africa in the 13th match on Wednesday.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan 182/6 in 20 overs (Gulbadin Naib 63, Sediqullah Atal 29; Lockie Ferguson 2-40, Matt Henry 1-27) lost to New Zealand 183/5 in 17.5 overs (Tim Seifert 65, Glenn Phillips 42, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-31, Rashid Khan 1-36) by five wickets.