Thanks to Gulbadin Naib’s 63 off 35 balls, Afghanistan managed a total of 182/6 in the first innings of their first group stage game of the T20 World Cup. This was Naib’s maiden T20 World Cup half century. Afghanistan have never lost a T20 World Cup game after scoring over 175 in the first innings. Meanwhile, the highest target that New Zealand have chased down in T20 World Cups is 167.

Naib stabilised the Afghanistan innings after they lost both their openers Ibrahim Zadran (10) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (27) in one over from Lockie Ferguson to slump to 44/2 after six overs. Afghanistan had opted to bat first after winning the toss at Chennai on Sunday in their The last time New Zealand and Afghanistan met in the group stage of a T20 World Cup, the latter gave the Kiwis a hammering that they could never come back from. Rahmanulla Gurbaz’s 56-ball 80 had helped Afghanistan to a score of 159/6 in Guyana. New Zealand though, crumbled to four-wicket haulrs from captain Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi and were all out for a paltry 75.

While New Zealand may have revenge on their minds, they are going into this year’s tournament with a depleted squad. They were pummelled by India 4-1 going into the T20 World Cup. Batters Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway have been struck down with illness, while Finn Allen is nursing a shoulder injury he sustained in that series against India. Meanwhile, allrounder Michael Bracewell and fast bowler Lockie Ferguson have been dealing with calf issues.

Squads:

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Ishaq, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, Abdullah Ahmadzai

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy, James Neesham, Matt Henry, Devon Conway, Mark Chapman

Surya rescues India in thrilling escape from plucky USA

When the World Cup draw was announced, the opening fortnight looked grim: potential blowouts as cricket’s elite bulldozed the associates. By stumps on Day One, that assumption looked dangerously condescending. The Netherlands nearly stunned Pakistan in Colombo. Then in Mumbai, a team of American immigrants reduced India to 77 for 6—and silenced one of cricket’s most raucous stadiums.

That it needed Suryakumar Yadav to buckle down and steer his team to what proved a match-winning total was testament to the pressure applied by an American team chasing immigrants’ dreams. READ MORE.