Chennai, February 8: The T20 World Cup 2026 kicked off its second day with a match between New Zealand and Afghanistan. Afghanistan won the toss and opted to have New Zealand bowl first. Three matches are scheduled for today in the tournament.
The first match between New Zealand and Afghanistan is part of Group D and is being held at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The second match, featuring England and Nepal from Group C, will take place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, starting at 3 PM IST.
The final match of the day will see co-hosts Sri Lanka face Ireland in Group B at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
This World Cup, featuring 20 teams, has already proven to be exciting, with powerhouse teams like Pakistan and India struggling against relatively weaker opponents. This highlights the unpredictability of the T20 format and the potential for surprising outcomes.
On the first day of the tournament, India secured a victory over the USA by 29 runs, while Pakistan triumphed over the Netherlands by 3 wickets. The West Indies also began their campaign with a win, defeating Scotland by 35 runs.
As the second day of the World Cup begins, fans anticipate another thrilling encounter between Afghanistan and New Zealand. The playing elevens for both teams are as follows:
New Zealand (Playing Eleven): Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (Wicketkeeper), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (Captain), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.
Afghanistan (Playing Eleven): Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (Captain), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman Sharifi.