T20 World Cup 2026: ‘Getting two points important early in the tournament,’ says Ferguson after NZ beats AFG

New Zealand suffered a group stage exit in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, and the loss against Afghanistan was its final nail in the coffin.

The sides met again in Chennai on Sunday for the Group D opener in the ongoing T20 World Cup, and at the end of the first innings, it was deja vu for the Kiwis. Afghanistan posted a daunting 182/6 on a tricky surface.

Despite Mujeeb Ur Rahman making early inroads in the second essay, opener Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips refused to let history repeat itself. They forged an important partnership for the third wicket to power their side to a five-wicket win.

“Hats off to Mujeeb. He bowled very well. But it’s T20 cricket at the end of the day. You always want to be positive and put the bowlers under pressure. We knew that there were great guys coming down there, so we were able to perform without pressure,” Seifert told reporters post the game.

“Adapting to the conditions is key, and I thought we did that very well,” he added.

On the bowling front, although New Zealand slipped after claiming two early wickets, Lockie Ferguson is content with how things turned out.

The pacer struck on the very first ball he bowled as he removed Ibrahim Zadran and sent his partner, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, packing four deliveries later. He finished with 2/40 in his quota of four overs.

He credits the IPL for letting him experiment with variations. “Over here, I found that IPL players are very good at picking up back-of-the-hand slow balls. I’ve worked on a ball where my wrist doesn’t change too much. It comes out good sometimes, not so good others. You’re always trying to develop your game. You play the same players often, so they get a read on you, and you’re always trying to stay one step ahead,” he said.

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With South Africa also slotted in the same group, a positive start was required to keep New Zealand in the hunt for the Super 8s.

“I think we’ve got a really tough pool. We knew coming into this game it was a big game; we obviously had a heartbreak last World Cup against such a strong Afghanistan side, and we know how dangerous they are, and they showed that today again,” said Ferguson.

“It was a close win, but getting the two points is so important early in the tournament, much like it is for every team. We’ve got to enjoy that this afternoon, and then we’ve got a one-day turnaround to our next game, so it’s important to focus on that one now,” he added.

On the other hand, Afghanistan’s head coach Jonathan Trott looked at the positive side of things. He praised Gulbadin Naib’s contribution with the bat and said he hopes to see more of him as the tournament progresses.

“I thought he plays well and that position suits him, so hopefully he can continue to do that. I thought he looked decent. He just hasn’t got the runs in the series against the West Indies. But hopefully he’s starting to hit form now, and he can continue this form for the rest of the tournament,” said Trott.

New Zealand will face the UAE in Chennai on Tuesday, while Afghanistan will take on South Africa on Wednesday in Ahmedabad.

Published on Feb 08, 2026