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New Zealand vs Afghanistan T20 Cricket World Cup Predictions - Allen to power Kiwis to opening win

Simon Lewis

Editor

Last updated: 07 Feb 2026

Simon Lewis 07 Feb 2026

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Finn Allen hit six sixes in his 38-ball 80 against India.
Ibrahim Zadran has scored 87*, 22, 28, 36 and 51 in his last five innings.
Can New Zealand avenge their 84-run defeat vs Afghanistan in the 2024 World Cup?

Expired

New Zealand's big-hitting Finn Allen (Getty Images).

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Predictions

New Zealand came through a bruising 4-1 series defeat to India but their players have been performing well. They have greater depth than the Afghanistan side, so I am backing New Zealand to get off to a winning start to their World Cup campaign.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Predictions
Head-to-Head
New Zealand Form
Afghanistan Form
New Zealand vs Afghanistan Team News & Squads

New Zealand’s Finn Allen has scored 69, 49, 36 & 80 in his last 4 innings.
New Zealand’s Tim Seifert has scored 66 & 62 in his last 3 innings.
Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran scored 51* off 34 balls against the West Indies.
Afghanistan’s Darwish Rasooli has scored 84, 68, 84 & 27 in his last 5 innings.

Head-to-Head

New Zealand and Afghanistan have each won one of their last three T20I meetings, with one match being rained-out. Afghanistan won their group match against New Zealand in the 2024 T20 World Cup, going on to lose to South Africa in the semi-final.

New Zealand Form

New Zealand come into the series having lost 4-1 away to India in a T20I World Cup warm-up series.

New Zealand have an explosive opening pair of batters in Finn Allen and Tim Seifert which gives them a major boost in setting a target or chasing. Their middle order of Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell and Mark Chapman gives them incredible depth, with Phillips and Mitchell capable of going big in high-pressure matches.

Their pace attack of Jocob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry should challenge most top-orders. Lockie Ferguson has taken 4/34, 1/2 and 2/41 in his last three T20Is while Kyle Jamieson took 4/41 and 2/54 in the whiteball series against India.

Afghanistan Form

Afghanistan had won four T20Is in a row before losing to the West Indies by 15 runs in the final game of their three-match series.

Afghanistan will be hoping Rahmanullah Gurbaz is fit after scoring 71 and 43 in his last two matches. Ibrahim Zadran has been their go-to man with the bat, with support from Darwish Rasooli and Azmatullah Omarzai (33, 26* and 35) in a middle-order that is full of talent but sometimes short of consistency.

Rashid Khan is always a dangerman with the ball and has figures of 2/19, 1/19, 2/13 and 1/6 in his last four matches. Ziaur Rahman has been in great form, taking 3/36, 2/45, 2/20 and 1/38 in his last four matches.

New Zealand vs Afghanistan Team News & Squads

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted that his team picked up a lot of lessons in the 4-1 series defeat against India just before the start of the World Cup. “We learnt a lot of stuff. It’s tough to beat India in their conditions, but when you're challenged a lot it's a good thing. Results haven't gone our way but we have had learnings. It's not easy as a bowling unit against good batting ones,” said Santner.

Speaking at a press conference before the start of the World Cup, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan admitted that playing conditions on the sub-continent no longer benefitted Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. "All the teams have been playing IPL here in India so there’s no extra advantage for Afghanistan. It's all about the day and how you play your best cricket. As a bowler you can't really think about it. I'll never accept that the opposition will have 200 on board. If the opposition is having that mindset, you need to stay calm and plan. If you are bowling in good areas, there is no way the batter is going to hit 4-5 sixes to you,” said Rashid Khan.

New Zealand (possible XI): Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson.

Afghanistan (possible XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq.

Verdict

New Zealand v Afghanistan

I am backing New Zealand to win. I am also backing Finn Allen to top score for New Zealand.

Ibrahim Zadran is a good bet to top score for Afghanistan.

Ziaur Rahman

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Simon is a talented sports writer in South Africa with a strong focus on cricket having played first-team level for UCT, including playing at two Universities Weeks.

From a young age Simon was an avid reader of cricket magazines and books, and went on to be Editor of The Googly, CricketScene SA and SA Cricket, in addition to being a Features Writer on SA Sports Illustrated.

He has interviewed most of South Africa's premier cricketers and was the first writer to interview a teenaged Jacques Kallis.

Simon has also written about English and local football, rugby and cricket, in addition to major international tennis and golf stars and competitions.

You can follow more from Simon at Muckrack, X and LinkedIn.