Tim Seifert and Finn Allen of New Zealand achieved a world record opening partnership of 175 runs, leading their team to a resounding 10-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates in a Group C match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The UAE, captained by Mohammed Waseem, chose to bat first but struggled against New Zealand’s bowlers, eventually posting a total of 173/6 in 20 overs, the highest T20 World Cup score by the UAE.
Seifert and Allen displayed aggressive batting from the start, scoring 78 runs in the Powerplay and dominating the UAE’s bowlers. Both batsmen quickly reached their half-centuries, with Allen scoring 84 runs off 50 balls and Seifert scoring 89 runs off 42 balls. The partnership of 175 runs between them is now the highest in T20 World Cup history.
In the match, notable statistics included a 107-run partnership between Waseem and Sharafu, the highest score by an Associate team against New Zealand in T20Is, and the seventh instance of a team winning a T20 World Cup match by 10 wickets.
