The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 moves to Match 11 as New Zealand takes on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. New Zealand enters this contest with high confidence after a clinical 5-wicket victory over Afghanistan in their opener. For the UAE, this marks their first game of the tournament, and they face the daunting task of upsetting a Black Caps side that is perfectly balanced for Chennai’s spin-friendly conditions.
NZ vs UAE, T20 World Cup 2026: Match Details
- Date and Time: February 10 (Tuesday); 3:00 pm IST / 9:30 am GMT / 10:30 pm NZDT
- Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai
Head-to-Head Record (T20Is):
Matches played: 3 | New Zealand won: 2 | UAE won: 1
MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) Pitch Report
The Chepauk surface is traditionally a spin-bowling haven and early games in the 2026 World Cup have reinforced this reputation. The pitch offers significant grip and turn for slow bowlers, which will play directly into the hands of Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi. While the track has played slightly better for batters this season, with an average score of around 165-170, the slow nature of the outfield makes boundaries hard to come by if the ball is soft. Given it’s an afternoon start, dew will not be a factor, making the toss slightly less critical, though most captains prefer to bat first and put runs on the board before the surface tires.
Team Dynamics and Key Players
New Zealand: Led by Mitchell Santner, the Kiwis are tailor-made for subcontinental conditions. Tim Seifert is the man in form, coming off a string of high scores, while Glenn Phillips provides the necessary middle-order aggression. Their bowling is their greatest asset at this venue; Santner’s discipline combined with Matt Henry’s ability to bowl effective cutters makes them incredibly difficult to score against.
United Arab Emirates: Under the guidance of coach Lalchand Rajput, the UAE has become a fearless unit. Captain Muhammad Waseem is the lynchpin of their batting; his ability to dominate the Powerplay will be crucial. The UAE will rely heavily on their lead pacer Junaid Siddique for early breakthroughs and the young spinner Aayan Afzal Khan, who has a history of troubling New Zealand batters (taking 3/20 in their 2023 victory).
Squads
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, Simranjeet Singh.
NZ vs UAE, T20 World Cup 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- New Zealand wins the toss and bats first
- New Zealand powerplay score: 45–55 (6 overs)
- New Zealand total score: 175–190
Case 2:
- UAE wins the toss and bats first
- UAE powerplay score: 38–48 (6 overs)
- UAE total score: 135–150
Match result: New Zealand to win the contest.
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