Over a record-setting day of raw punching the team will remember for years, New Zealand's opening pair have joined the canon of cricket history during ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. On February 10, in the grand and storied MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen unleashed an unbroken assault on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bowling attack, crushing their efforts and setting a new standard for the tournament.
Together they forged an unbroken partnership of 175 runs in just 15.2 overs. That has been established as the highest partnership ever at the famous Men's T20 World Cup. This brilliant achievement is a testament to the remarkable skills they posses and also gives some evidence of how best they can play as batting partners together.
The 175-run partnership proudly now ranks as the highest for any wicket in the annals of Men's T20 World Cup history, surpassing the previous record that had been long held by England’s formidable duo of Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, who had set an unbeaten 170-run stand against India during the intense semi-final at Adelaide in 2022.
From the beginning, Seifert and Allen’s explosion of innings was evident, going on to blisteringly crush their foes with an annihilation that made them hit the 100+ run mark in just 8.3 overs. Seifert was particularly dazzling, with a sensational 89 runs out of 42 balls whilst Allen gave him a solid 84 runs off 50 deliveries.
Their aggressive and calculated style made the fans really enjoy themselves well, and the opposition got confused for an answer. And while the UAE hit their highest-ever T20 World Cup total this season with a commendable score of 173/6, bolstered by impressive half-centuries from Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu, the Kiwis made the chase seem easy after all.
The openers dominated the powerplay, racing to an impressive 78 runs without the loss of a wicket in the first six overs to what would become a memorable performance. Finn Allen also reached a new peak for himself in T20 Internationals: his 100th six in T20 Internationals which would be remembered as his first time since he played there.
The win has won New Zealand an absolute extra bonus and makes it the second straight win for the unit, this being their second consecutive win in Group D, and their striking performance of net run rate, a remarkable win on top, set a record high Net Run Rate of +1.919.
This resurgence comes following a poor early showing down the shortlist for the 2024 tournament, with this latest show in skill and determination, the Black Caps are proving themselves a serious contender in 2026. As cricket grows ever so competitive around the world as the tournament progresses, fans all over the world will be eager for the performance of this talented team at cricket.
