Afghanistan vs New Zealand স্কোরকার্ড, Match 40, ICC T20 World Cup 2021

This will be the first men’s T20I between New Zealand and Afghanistan; the Black Caps have won each of their last three games in the format in Asia, while Afghanistan have won only one of their last three such fixtures (L2).

New Zealand have won four of their last five men’s T20Is (L1), including each of their last three in succession; indeed, the Black Caps’ 11 victories in the format in 2021 is their most in a calendar year.

Afghanistan have lost two of their last three men’s T20Is (W1), after recording an nine-match unbeaten run prior (W8, T1); they will be looking to avoid consecutive defeats in the format for the first time since a three-match span from September to November in 2019, following their 66-run loss to India last time out.

New Zealand have won each of their last three ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches; the last and only time the Black Caps enjoyed a longer winning run at the tournament was a four-match span in March 2016.

Afghanistan have had a batting strike rate under 150 in each of their last three men’s T20I innings, after surpassing that mark in five of their six innings prior.

New Zealand have hit more than five sixes in each of their last two men’s T20I innings, after doing so only once in their seven innings prior.

Mohammad Nabi (113) is 12 away from recording the third most runs by an Afghanistan player in a single ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (Noor Ali Zadran – 124 in 2016); he has scored 30+ runs in three of his last four T20I innings at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Martin Guptill (New Zealand) is six away from becoming the second all-time leading run scorer for the Black Caps in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history (Ross Taylor – 562); indeed, Guptill’s 148 runs in the 2021 campaign so far is the third most by a Black Caps player at a single edition (Brendon McCullum – 212 in 2012 and Craig McMillan – 163 in 2007).

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) has taken 11 wickets in men’s T20Is at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, only three players have taken more at the ground (Bilal Khan – 19 for Oman, Rohan Mustafa – 15 for United Arab Emirates and Zeeshan Maqsood – 12 for Oman).

Tim Southee (New Zealand) is two away from becoming the second all-time leading wicket taker for the Black Caps in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history (Daniel Vettori – 20); Southee has taken at least one wicket in each of his last eight T20I bowling innings, including multiple on four occasions in that span.