New Zealand barely snagged a win against the United States by seven runs in a wild T20 World Cup practice game at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on February 5, 2026. Both teams put on a show, with some crazy hitting and clutch plays with the ball, keeping everyone glued to their seats the whole time. It was a great warm-up for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, letting both teams see what they’re good at and what they still need to work on.

New Zealand’s Batting Powers Up Navi Mumbai

The USA put New Zealand in to bat first, and they started slow but then their hitters took over. Tim Seifert was on fire, smashing 66 off just 31 balls, with ten 4s and a couple of 6s. Seifert’s hitting got New Zealand going and set up the rest of the innings.

Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips keep the score going up. Phillips whacked 40 runs off 18 balls, with four 4s and three huge 6s, which kept the scoreboard moving fast. Mitchell chipped in with 32 off 21 balls, making sure New Zealand didn’t lose steam in the middle.

Mark Chapman and Devon Conway added quick runs at the top, scoring 17 and 16, before getting out. Some well-timed partnerships, plus quick runs from Mitchell Santner (19 off 15) and James Neesham (13 off 10), helped New Zealand post a good 208/7 in 20 overs, giving them a good score to defend.

USA Battles Back with Solid Batting

The United States got off to a bad start trying to chase 209, losing Andries Gous for zero on the first ball to Matt Henry. But Saiteja Mukkamalla held things together with a cool 50 off 31 balls, showing he can handle pressure. Monank Patel also had a good knock of 31 off 14 balls, giving USA something to build on.

Milind Kumar and Shubham Ranjane gave them some extra boost in the middle. Milind Kumar smashed 43 runs off 26 balls, while Ranjane hit a fast 41 off 23 balls. But Matt Henry took some key wickets, getting five in total, which messed up the American innings near the end. Ish Sodhi and Jacob Duffy also got important wickets, keeping the pressure on.

Even though the USA got to 201/8 in their 20 overs, they still lost by seven runs, showing how close the game was.

Good Bowling Closes the Deal

New Zealand’s batting helped, but it was really the bowling that won them the game. Matt Henry was the best bowler, taking 5/32, including some big wickets at the end to slow down the USA. Ish Sodhi’s 2/27 and Jacob Duffy’s wicket of Shayan Jahangir also helped New Zealand.

Saurabh Netravalkar led the USA’s bowling with 2/37, and Ali Khan got 1/27. Mohammad Mohsin and Shubham Ranjane each got a wicket, but New Zealand’s stronger batting helped them defend their score.

Big Plays and Notes

Tim Seifert’s 66 off 31 balls was a great moment, with some fans seeing what he can do. Glenn Phillips’ fast-scoring showed how good New Zealand’s middle order is, and Daryl Mitchell kept the runs flowing.

For the USA, Mukkamalla’s 50 was a great performance, showing how much better the team is getting at T20 cricket. Milind Kumar and Ranjane almost won the game, but Matt Henry’s great last over won it for New Zealand.

The match also proved that the USA can play against the big teams, which should give them confidence before their first tournament game against India on February 7 in Mumbai.

How the Game Went and Key Moments

There were a few big moments in the game: Matt Henry’s early wicket, Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips’ strong partnership, and Matt Henry’s two wickets that sealed the win.

USA’s partnership between Mukkamalla and Monank Patel kept them in the game, adding 59 runs. But they couldn’t finish it off.

New Zealand’s good batting and bowling at the end showed why they’re expected to do well in the tournament.