न्यूजीलैंड vs अफगानिस्तान, मैच 4, एमए चिदंबरम स्टेडियम, चेन्नई, 08 February 2026 - कमेंट्री

Good length on middle and off, Daryl Mitchell tucks this through mid-wicket for one.

 FOUR! That's an excellent stroke from Mitchell Santner. Short and wide of off, Mitchell Santner hangs onto his back foot and cuts this late through the backward point region for a boundary.

Hard length on off, Mitchell Santner pushes this to covers and takes a quick one. The ball hits Mitchell Santner as the throw comes in and Rashid Khan and Mitchell Santner share a light-hearted moment. 

 SIX! SCORES ARE LEVEL! High full toss, on middle, Daryl Mitchell muscles this over the fence towards the deep mid-wicket region to level the scores. This is sent upstairs for a check on the height of the ball and the replay shows that it was clearly below the waist height. 

Another full toss, around off, Daryl Mitchell knocks this down to long on for a single to seal the game. New Zealand win this by 5 wickets and 13 balls to spare.

Full and on the pads, Daryl flicks this through square leg for two.

Slower one, short and on off, Daryl Mitchell forces this to long on for a single. 

Yorker, on off. Mitchell Santner pushes this to covers for a dot.

Overthrows! Full and on off, Mitchell Santner rolls this to mid off and sets off for a single. Mohammad Nabi fields this and has a go at the stumps towards the non-striker's end but misses. The ball goes through the fielder backing from mid-wicket and the keeper as well for an extra run.

 FOUR! Santner eases the pressure on the Kiwis. Good length on middle and leg, Mitchell Santner backs away and steps down the track. Chips this over the fielder at the extra cover region for a boundary. 19 needed off 19!

 SIX! This settles the dust to an extent, as New Zealand now needs just 13 more to win off the last 3 overs. On a length around middle and leg, Mitchell Santner presents a full face of his bat and lifts this over the fence towards the long off region for a biggie.

A beamer over the waist of Daryl Mitchell and he tucks this through square leg for a single. The umpire doesn't give it a NO BALL straightaway and sends it upstairs for an official review. The replay shows that this is over the waist of Daryl Mitchell and it is called a NO BALL. Free Hit to follow.

Slower one, short and around off, Mark Chapman swings early and the ball arrives late. 

Good length on middle and off, Mark Chapman chips this to long on for a single. 

Slower one, back of a length on middle and off. Daryl Mitchell works this through mid-wicket for a run.

 OUT! CAUGHT! Mark Chapman departs after scoring 28 off 17 balls. Slower one, around middle and leg, on a length. Mark Chapman backs away and looks to chip this over the fielder at covers but ends up chipping this straight into the safe hands of Rashid Khan standing inside the ring. NZ still need 28 off 26 balls.

Beauty from Azmatullah Omarzai. Azmat comes around the stumps, bowls it on a length and shapes it away from the batter. Mitchell Santner pokes at it, away from his body and gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Good length around off, Mitchell Santner stays back to push inside the line but gets beaten on the outside edge again. A top over at this stage. 

Short and on middle, Daryl Mitchell flicks it towards mid-wicket for a quick single.

Short again and on leg, Mark Chapman clips it to deep square leg for a run.

Floated, full and on middle, Daryl Mitchell eases it to long on for another run.

SIX! A freebie and gladly accepted! Mujeeb Ur Rahman dishes out a loopy full toss, begging to be put away. Mark Chapman is not going to miss out on that and slogs it over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

FOUR! Clever batting! Flatter delivery, full and around leg, Mark Chapman moves across to get inside the line of it and scoops it to the fine leg fence for a boundary now.

Shortish and around off, Mark Chapman punches it through cover-point for a brace. Also, 150 up for New Zealand! They need 32 runs in 30 balls now.

Flighted, full and on middle, Mark Chapman drills it to long off for a single.

FOUR! Innovative and effective! Flatter, full and around off, Daryl Mitchell changes his stance quickly, and executes the reverse sweep past short third for a boundary.

Tossed up, full and on middle, Daryl Mitchell clips it through mid-wicket for a run.

A leg-break, short and on middle, turns in, Mark Chapman works it through square leg for one.

Drags his length back, on middle, Daryl Mitchell stays back and nudges it towards mid-wicket and calls his partner for the second run. The throw comes in at the bowler's end, where Chapman puts in a dive to make his ground.

Flatter, full and on middle, Daryl Mitchell flicks it to deep mid-wicket for one. He wants the second but will have to settle for just one. 4-0-36-1, Rashid is done with the ball. 

Flatter, short and around leg, Tim Seifert misses his flick as the ball goes off his pads towards short fine.

SIX! FIFTY FOR SEIFERT! A maiden T20 World Cup half-century, and he brings it up with a bang as well. Mohammad Nabi drops it short again, on middle and leg. Tim Seifert is quick to go on the back foot and whacks it over the deep square leg fence for a biggie. This has been an excellent knock under pressure, but he knows the job is not done yet.

SIX! Up, up and away! Floated, full and on middle, Tim Seifert goes down on one knee, stretches out in front and nails the slog sweep over the deep mid-wicket fence for half a dozen more.

FOUR! A boundary now! Mohammad Nabi fires this full and outside off. Tim Seifert extends his arms to reach out for it and smacks it through covers for four runs.

OUT! CAUGHT! Mohammad Nabi has the last laugh here, and he gets a massive wicket for Afghanistan. This is bowled quicker and shorter, on leg, keeps a bit low. Tim Seifert rocks back to pull it away but gets cramped up. He gets into an awkward position while playing the shot and gets no elevation. It flies straight to deep square leg, where Azmatullah Omarzai comes forward and takes a good catch under pressure. Seifert departs after a well-made 65 off 42, and the Kiwis are four down now. 59 needed off 43 balls. 

Slows it up, full and on leg, Daryl Mitchell tucks it with soft hands through square leg and comes back for the second run. 18 runs and a wicket from the over. 

FOUR! Powered away! Tossed up, full and on middle, Tim Seifert clears his front leg away and thumps it over the bowler's head, beating Mohammad Nabi to his left at long on for a boundary. That also brings up 2000 T20I runs for Seifert.

DROPPED! Rashid Khan drops it short and on off, Tim Seifert looks to punch it away but the ball stops on him. He ends up lobbing it back towards the bowler, where Rashid gets a hand on it but it pops out. He turns around and stretches, gets fingertips on it but fails to hold on. A tough chance but should have been taken. 

Short and on leg, Tim Seifert turns it to the leg side.

Short and outside off, Tim Seifert cuts it to deep point for one.

Flighted, full and on middle, Mark Chapman bunts it wide of long off, where the fielder dives to his left and pushes it back inside. Two taken.

Dragged back and on middle, Mark Chapman pulls it to mid-wicket.

Short of a length and outside off, Tim Seifert waits for it, hops up and slaps it through covers for a single.

FOUR! Great shot! Back of a length and on middle, not short enough to trouble the batter. Mark Chapman gets on top of it and heaves it to the deep mid-wicket fence for a boundary.

Fuller delivery, outside off, Mark Chapman makes a bit of room and drills it wide of sweeper cover. Azmatullah Omarzai runs to his left and makes a good sliding stop. Two taken.

Bangs this into the pitch and around off, takes pace off. Mark Chapman comes down the track again and punches it wide of mid off. Sediqullah Atal dives to his right to save a few runs for his team. They cross. 100 UP FOR THE KIWIS!

Right in the blockhole, on middle, tailing in, Tim Seifert digs it out on the pitch.

Hard length and on off, slower again, Tim Seifert pulls it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Tossed up, on middle and leg, Tim Seifert flicks this through mid-wicket for one.

 OUT! CHOPPED ON! Rashid Khan strikes and sends Glenn Phillips back to the dugout. The Afghan skipper is very animated in his celebration. Flighted wide outside off, Glenn Phillips backs away and looks to loft this over the covers region but ends up getting an inside edge that goes back onto the stumps. Glenn Phillips departs after playing a good hand of 42 off 25 balls. New Zealand are 88/3, still needing 95 runs in 64 balls.

Full and around off, Mark Chapman punches this to long off for a single. 

Tossed up, around off, Tim Seifert smashes this just past the bowler to his left for a single down to long off.

Quicker and flatter around off, Mark Chapman cuts this to sweeper cover for a couple of runs. 

Fired into the batter, on middle and leg. Mark Chapman keeps it out. Rashid bounces back after an ordinary first over. 

Hard length on off, Glenn Phillips punches this to sweeper cover for a strike rotation. 

Good length onto the pads, Tim Seifert works this through square leg for a single. 

 FOUR! Fast hands from GP and the ball races to the fence for four. Short and around off, Glenn Phillips hops up on his toes and cuts this with fast hands. The ball races to the right of the fielder at the deep third region for four. 

 FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries for Glenn and he races to 41 off 23 balls. Short and around the pads, Glenn Phillips helps this for a boundary behind the stumps towards the fine leg region. 

Full and on middle and leg, Glenn Phillips tucks this through mid-wicket for one.

Good length around the pads, Tim Seifert milks this through square leg for a run.

Good length on middle and leg, Glenn Phillips flicks this through square leg for one.

NO BALL! Good length on theTim Seifert works this through the mid-wicket region for a couple of runs. The siren goes around the ground, signalling that Ziaur Rahman has overstepped. Free Hit to follow.

Wide yorker around off, Tim Seifert rolls this to the right of short extra cover for no run.

WIDE! Short and way too wide of off. Wided.

Back of a length around middle and leg, just over the stumps. Tim Seifert swings across the line and misses.

Full and wide around off, Tim Seifert gets it edged to the third man region for a single. 

Back of a length around off, Glenn Phillips hops up on his toes and punches this to sweeper cover for a single. 

Good length on the pads, Tim Seifert flicks this along the ground through the gap at mid-wicket for a couple of runs. 

Floated around off, Tim Seifert rolls this through covers for a run. 

Quicker one, into the batter. Glenn Phillips drills this down to long on for a single. 

Tossed up, around the pads, Tim Seifert flicks this to long on for a strike rotation. 

 SIX! Glenn Phillips is at the peak of his game. Tossed up, around off, Glenn Phillips backs away a touch and smashes this down the ground for a biggie over the sight screen. 

 FOUR! A boundary to follow the biggie. Short and on middle and leg, Glenn Phillips picks the length early, rocks back and pulls this flat to the left of Sediqullah Atal at deep mid-wicket for four runs. That brings up the 50-run partnership for this pair.

Short again but a touch quicker, on middle and off, Glenn Phillips flat-bats this to Atal at deep mid-wicket for just one this time. This was hit powerfully and flat but lands just short of the fielder. 14 from Rashid's first. 

Floated around off, Glenn Phillips pokes at it but gets beaten.

 FOUR! That is poor from Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Glenn Phillips makes him pay. Darted onto the pads, Glenn Phillips rocks back and flicks this past the fielder at short fine leg to his left for four runs. 

Quicker one, on off, Glenn Phillips keeps it out.

Floated around off, Glenn Phillips pushes this to covers for no run.

 FOUR! Fifty comes up for New Zealand. Fired around off, seam up from Mujeeb. Glenn Phillips stands leg side to it and smashes this over the fielder at the extra cover region for a boundary.

Fired into the batter, on his pads. Glenn Phillips tucks it to short fine leg. 

Good length and on off, Glenn Phillips taps it in front of mid off and scampers across for a single.

Back of a length and on middle, angling in, slower too, Tim Seifert keeps it out on the pitch.

FOUR! Top shot! Fazalhaq Farooqi sees the batter advance and bangs this into the pitch, on middle. Tim Seifert adjusts well to the length, gets on top of it and pulls it away to the deep mid-wicket fence for a boundary.

SIX! Even better and bigger! This is a full delivery, on middle and off, slower in pace. Tim Seifert clears his front leg out of the way and launches it over the long on fence for a biggie.

SAFE! On a length and on middle and leg, Tim Seifert tucks it with soft hands through mid-wicket and calls for the second run. Ibrahim Zadran is quick to get to the ball and scores a direct hit at the batter's end. However, Seifert does not look that botherd and the replay confirms that he has dragged his bat inside the crease in time.

A low full toss, on off, Tim Seifert drills it straight towards mid off. He is not happy with himself as this was there to be put away.

Shorter in length, on off, Tim Seifert pats it down to long on for a single.

Flatter, short and around leg, Glenn Phillips tries to heave it away but misses as the ball lobs up off his pads and rolls to short fine.

FOUR! Beats the fielder this time! Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowls the googly, but just drifting down the leg side. Glenn Phillips goes down and paddles it away past short fine for an easy boundary. 

Shortish and on middle and leg, Glenn Phillips nudges it to mid-wicket for a single.

Fires this one full and on leg, Tim Seifert looks to clip it away but misses as the ball deflects off his pads to square leg.

Pushed through quicker, shorter and on middle and leg, skids through as well. Tim Seifert stays back to work it away but once again gets hit on the pads.

Fuller and on off, Tim Seifert drills it to mid off.

FOUR! Gets it away! Back of a length and on middle, angling in. Tim Seifert gets a bit cramped up but manages to heave it away to the deep square leg fence. The fielder from deep fine runs to his left and dives but fails to stop the boundary.

WIDE! Fuller but down the leg side, Tim Seifert fails to glance it away. Called a wide.

Short of a length and on off, Tim Seifert dabs it down to point.

Fuller and on middle, angling in, Tim Seifert drills it wide of long on for a single. He wants the second run but is sent back.

WIDE! Fullish but down the leg again, Glenn Phillips tries to flick but misses. Rahmanullah Gurbaz grabs it behind the stumps and appeals but it is turned down. Wided again.

FOUR! Put away! Azmatullah Omarzai bangs this into the pitch but angling into the leg side. Glenn Phillips just helps it on its way behind square on the leg side for another boundary.

Goes back to his fuller length, on middle, shaping in, Glenn Phillips fends it off the inner half of the bat to mid-wicket.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman begins with a flatter delivery, short and on middle, Finn Allen punches it to long on for a single.

Floated, full and on middle and leg, angling in, Tim Seifert eases it to long on for a run.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! Mujeeb Ur Rahman draws first blood and gets rid of the dangerous Finn Allen. This is pushed through quicker, shortish and on middle, skids through and angles in a bit. Allen rocks back for the pull but this is not that short and he gets rushed, too. The ball goes through and rattles the stumps behind. Allen falls cheaply, and New Zealand are 14/1, chasing 183 runs.

OUT! TIMBER! Oh..wow. That is an absolute beauty, and no one can catch Mujeeb Ur Rahman as he is off running in celebration. This is the seam-up ball, full and on middle, just straightens a bit instead of angling in. Rachin Ravindra prods forward to defend but plays down the wrong line and gets hurried too. He leaves enough gap between bat and pad for the ball to go through and shatter the stumps. A golden duck for Rachin, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman is on a hat-trick now.

Almost a hat-trick! Tossed up, full and on middle, turns in. Glenn Phillips looks to push it away but gets an inside edge onto his pads. It lobs up but there is no short leg to grab it.

Bowls this flatter, short and just outside off, Glenn Phillips looks to cut it away but misses. Just 2 runs and 2 big wickets from the over, superb stuff from Mujeeb.

Right on the money! Fazalhaq Farooqi starts with a yorker, on off, swinging in, Tim Seifert gets his bat down to dig it out.

Another yorker, on middle and off, Tim Seifert jams it out to the leg side.

FOUR! Just wide! Fazalhaq Farooqi serves this fuller and on off, Tim Seifert lofts it wide of mid off and just gets enough elevation on this one. Rashid Khan flings himself to his right and tries to grab it with his outstretched right hand but the ball evades him and races away to the fence for a boundary. The Kiwis are underway in the chase.

FOUR MORE! Good shot! Short of a length and just around off. Tim Seifert uses the width on offer and cuts it away. He times it so well that the fielder at deep backward point has no chance of stopping that from going to the fence.

Good length and on middle, nips back in, Tim Seifert gets cramped up and keeps it out on the pitch.

FOUR! No chance for Rashid Khan this time! Pitched up and around off, Tim Seifert backs away, stays leg side of the ball and thumps it to the left and well over mid off for four more runs. 12 runs from the first over.