Afghanistan won a helpful 11 am toss in Chennai and, without hesitation, decided to bat first in this daytime T20 World Cup meeting with New Zealand. Dew is barely a talking point at that hour, so Rashid Khan felt runs on the board were worth the punt.
Key selections were clear enough. Rashid heads a three-pronged spin attack alongside Mujeeb Ur Rahman and the evergreen Mohammad Nabi. Left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, who has often sparkled here for Chennai Super Kings, misses out – simply a case of the balance Rashid wanted. Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, replacing the injured Naveen-ul-Haq, partners Fazalhaq Farooqi with the new ball, while Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib offer seam-bowling back-up and middle-order heft.
New Zealand have gone in the opposite direction. Mitchell Santner, the captain, is the sole specialist spinner, with part-timer Rachin Ravindra there if things grip. Wrist-spinner Ish Sodhi stays on the bench; the Black Caps preferred an extra yard of pace on a surface showing a thin layer of grass. Matt Henry leads that seam group with Lockie Ferguson and Jacob Duffy, Jimmy Neesham filling the all-rounder slot.
Ravindra has shaken off the illness that kept him out of the warm-up clash, slotting in at No. 3. Finn Allen’s shoulder niggle has eased too, so he resumes his punchy opening partnership with Tim Seifert. Michael Bracewell’s calf, alas, ruled him out again.
During the television build-up, Anil Kumble told Yash Jha, “Advantage Afganistan in a day game.” His view rests on two points: no evening dew and the fact that Chepauk’s refurbished outfield, relaid from scratch last year, still feels unfamiliar even to the locals. The square itself hasn’t hosted a competitive match since the 2025 IPL, leaving both teams second-guessing whether it will slow up or skid on.
Conditions might quickly dictate whether Santner regrets leaving out Sodhi. In Kumble’s words it could be “a wicket-and-outfield combo that morphs across forty overs”. Still, Kane Williamson’s side – sorry, Santner’s side; old habits – backed their quicks to nip any early movement.
Squads in full
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (capt), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.
Chepauk has its quirks, both teams know that, but the first ten overs should tell us which decision – bat or bowl – truly held the edge today.
