Record Seifert, Allen stand crushes UAE: T20 World Cup No 11 (Chennai)

New Zealand delivered a dominant performance in their 2026 T20 World Cup Group D match, crushing the UAE by 10 wickets in Chennai.

Batting first, the UAE impressed with a solid 173/6, driven by a classy unbeaten 66 from captain Muhammad Waseem and a fluent 55 by Alishan Sharafu, the pair putting on a century stand to give their side a fighting total against a disciplined Kiwi attack.

That resistance was swept aside in spectacular fashion as Tim Seifert (89 off 42)* and Finn Allen (84 off 50)* unleashed a breathtaking assault in reply. The New Zealand openers raced to the target in just 15.2 overs, compiling an unbroken 175-run partnership, the highest opening stand in T20 World Cup history.

The emphatic win underlined New Zealand’s batting firepower and sent a strong message to the rest of the group.

New Zealand 175 for 0 (Seifert 89*, Allen 84*) beat United Arab Emirates 173 for 6 (Waseem 66, Sharafu 55, Henry 2-37) by ten wickets

Feb 2026.