Here’s a classic David-versus-Goliath affair, as high-flying New Zealand face the United Arab Emirates in their second game of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The Kiwis will look to remain unbeaten, while the UAE will be keen to start their World Cup campaign with a big upset. Here, we present our preview and predictions for the game.
New Zealand started their campaign in strong fashion, chasing down a big total against the spin attack of Afghanistan on a turning Chennai track.
With the bat, the Kiwis were clinical, barring a mini collapse at the start of their innings that saw Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra return to the pavilion inside two overs. Tim Seifert’s 65, along with a blazing 42 from Glenn Phillips, saw New Zealand chase down 183 with two overs to go.
On a track that was gripping at the start, the Kiwi batters got on top of the spinning ball well; playing in Chennai again will be a welcome decision for them. Their only worry with the bat will be Ravindra’s form, with the 26-year-old having been struggling for some time now.
With the ball, Matt Henry was economical, but the likes of Jacob Duffy and Lockie Ferguson went for some runs, especially on a track that held up a bit. Whenever pace was provided to the batters, they made the most of it. The slower bowlers and spinners — the likes of James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, and Ravindra — all kept things in check, even though they didn’t pick up wickets.
The UAE, on the other hand, suffered losses in both their warm-up games and will be looking to turn things around in the group stage. Expect them to be heavily dependent on the likes of Aryansh Sharma, captain Muhammad Waseem, Sohaib Khan, and Alishan Sharafu, who are tasked with delivering in conditions that aren’t totally alien to them.
Junaid Siddique and Haider Ali have been the pick of the bowlers recently for the Emirati outfit, and they will hope that the rest of the bowling unit steps up as well, especially after their two expensive warm-up outings.
Chennai has been a spinner’s paradise, and it should favour the slow bowlers once again in this game.
New Zealand’s superior squad makes them our favourites to win this encounter against minnows UAE.
Fantasy XI: Tim Seifert (c & wk), Aryansh Sharma, Rachin Ravindra, Alishan Sharafu, Muhammad Waseem, Glenn Philips, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (vc), Haider Ali, Lockie Ferguson, Junaid Siddique
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Winners Prediction: New Zealand
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