The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 continues with Match 11, where New Zealand faces the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. New Zealand comes into this match after a solid 5-wicket win over Afghanistan. For the UAE, this is their first match of the tournament, and they will need to perform exceptionally well against a strong New Zealand team suited 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 pitch at Chepauk is known for favoring spin bowlers, a trend confirmed by early matches in the 2026 World Cup. The surface provides good grip and turn for spinners, which will benefit Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi. While batting has been somewhat better this season, with average scores around 165-170, boundaries can be hard to achieve if the ball gets soft. Since it’s an afternoon game, dew isn’t expected to be an issue, making the toss less critical; however, most captains prefer batting first and setting a target as the pitch wears down.
Team Dynamics and Key Players
New Zealand: Captained by Mitchell Santner, the team is well-prepared for conditions typical of the subcontinent. Tim Seifert is in good form, while Glenn Phillips adds middle-order strength. Their bowling is particularly strong at this venue; Santner’s skill combined with Matt Henry’s effective cutters makes scoring against them challenging.
United Arab Emirates: Under coach Lalchand Rajput, the UAE has developed a bold approach. Captain Muhammad Waseem is crucial to their batting, especially during the Powerplay. The UAE will count on their leading pacer Junaid Siddique for early wickets and young spinner Aayan Afzal Khan, who has been effective against New Zealand in the past (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 expected to win.