Thrilling encounters marked the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up fixtures on Thursday, with New Zealand clinching a heart-stopping seven-run victory against the USA, while Nepal comfortably defeated Canada by six wickets. Rain played spoilsport in the Australia-Netherlands game, washing out the match before play could begin.
At Chennai’s Chepauk Stadium, Canada batted first and compiled 161/6, led by Navneet Dhaliwal’s 41 and Shreyas Movva’s unbeaten 38. Kanwarpal Tathgur’s 25 provided some momentum, but Nepal’s Sandip Lamichhane and Kushal Bhurtel disrupted with twin hauls of 2 wickets apiece.
Nepal’s chase was spearheaded by Aasif Sheikh’s destructive 58* off 29 deliveries, featuring six fours and three maximums. Sandeep Jora’s 44 and Gulshan Jha’s unbeaten 31 guided them home in 18 overs, losing just four wickets. Jaskaran Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, and Ajayveer Hundal claimed a scalp each for Canada.
Shifting to Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Academy, New Zealand posted a daunting 208/7. Tim Seifert’s 66 off 31 balls, with 10 boundaries and two sixes, set the tone before he retired hurt. Glenn Phillips (40) and Daryl Mitchell (32) bolstered the innings. Saurabh Netravalkar grabbed 2/?? for USA, with Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, and Shubham Ranjane taking one each.
USA’s response saw Saiteja Mukkamalla blaze 50 off 31 (6 fours), Milind Kumar score 43, and Shubham Ranjane make 41, but they fell short at 201/8. Matt Henry dismantled them with 5/32, Ish Sodhi took 2, and Jacob Duffy one, ensuring New Zealand’s edge-of-the-seat triumph. As teams fine-tune strategies, these games highlight the tournament’s competitive edge.
