T20 World Cup 2026: Pressure the bowlers and have fun – the Seifert-Allen mantra buoying the Kiwis

It turned out to be a one-sided affair as New Zealand’s openers, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, demolished the United Arab Emirates enroute to a commanding 10-wicket victory in their Group D clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.

Addressing the media after the match, Seifert reflected on the positive start to the tournament and the aggressive approach adopted by the opening duo.

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“It’s obviously a nice way to start the tournament. The main thing for us is that we’ve won two games,” he said.

“Finn and I are just going to continue playing the same way. Some days it will come off, and some days it won’t. For us, it’s about enjoying our cricket, putting pressure on the bowlers, and having fun—that’s the main thing.”

Allen echoed those sentiments, highlighting the importance of game awareness during the chase.

“We just try to get ourselves into good positions and put pressure on the bowlers,” he said.

“We spoke about picking our moments within the chase. We felt the wicket was getting better as the game went on, and we focused on rotating the strike as well, which I think we did quite well.”

Published on Feb 10, 2026