New Zealand and Canada are ready to face each other in the 31st match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Tuesday, February 17. This match is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM IST. Stay tuned with our NZ vs CAN prediction, team preview, pitch report, player stats and winner prediction ahead of this exciting contest.
New Zealand have performed well in the tournament so far. Although they lost the previous match against South Africa by seven wickets. After which, New Zealand are currently placed second in the points table of Group D with two wins and one loss. However, New Zealand will now face pressure after the defeat and will want to win their last group stage match at any costs. On the other hand, Canada’s performance hasn’t been particularly impressive, having lost both matches so far and placed at the bottom in Group D points table.
Head-to-Head Record: No Head-to-head record available between both sides, as New Zealand and Canada will face each other for the first time in this match.
New Zealand Preview
New Zealand’s performance was not special in the last match. They batted first and scored 175 runs against South Africa. While South Africa easily chased down the target in 17.1 overs and won the match by seven wickets. New Zealand will definitely have to play every single match here well. But if they lose another match here, it will definitely have a negative impact on their chances of reaching the Super 8.
In the batting department New Zealand got a good start from Finn Allen. He scored 31 runs in 17 balls. After that, Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell also played well in the middle order, scoring 48 and 32 runs, respectively to take the team’s total to 175. New Zealand’s top order batsmen have failed to perform well. So to stay in the tournament, New Zealand will need a good all-round performance.
New Zealand’s bowling performance wasn’t particularly impressive, although Lockie Ferguson, James Neesham, and Rachin Ravindra each took a wicket. However, against a strong batting lineup like South Africa, New Zealand must improve in their bowling strategy.
Tip
| Player | Tip | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Chapman | Over 26.5 Runs | 1.85 |
Mark Chapman scored a solid 48 in the last match and looked comfortable in the middle order. With the top order struggling, he remains New Zealand’s key batting hope and a strong pick to cross this line again.
Canada Preview
Canada had a poor performance in their last match as they lost to the UAE by five wickets. Batting first, Canada scored 150 runs, in response to which the UAE achieved the target in 19.4 overs with the loss of five wickets. Defeats like these show how little cricket experience there is in the Canadian squad.
In the last match, Canada’s top order failed to perform well, although Navneet Dhaliwal played well and scored 34 runs in 28 balls. Apart from him, Harsh Thaker also played an innings of 50 runs in 41 balls, and with the help of that, Canada was successful in scoring 150 runs.
Canada’s bowling was certainly decent in the last match, with Saad Bin Zafar proving to be the best bowler, taking three wickets for 14 runs in four overs. While Kaleem Sana and Jaskaran Singh also got one wicket each.
Tip
| Player | Tip | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Harsh Thaker | Over 24.5 Runs | 1.85 |
Harsh Thaker played a responsible knock of 50 off 41 balls in the previous game. He is currently Canada’s most reliable middle-order batter and a strong pick to cross this mark again.
NZ vs CAN Probably Playing XI
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (WK), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), James Neesham, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry.
Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (C), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Samra, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva, Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleen Sana, Ansh Patel.
NZ vs CAN Pitch Report
The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, is generally considered a spin-friendly surface. However, the last match of the tournament played here had a good competitive score of around 150 runs, which also proved challenging to chase. This shows how exciting even low-scoring matches can be here. Fielding first is considered a better decision at this venue. Fast bowlers can also get a good bounce here in the first innings.
The weather on Tuesday at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai is expected to be sunny, around 28°C, with 5% chance of rain, moderate 61% humidity, and winds near 18 km/h.
Venue T20I Statistics
| Stats | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 14 |
| Matches won batting first | 8 |
| Matches won bowling first | 5 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 162 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 136 |
| Highest total recorded | 199/4 (20 Ovs) – USA vs NAM |
| Lowest total recorded | 80/10 (17.5 Ovs) – PAKW vs ENGW |
| Highest score chased | 183/5 (17.5 Ovs) – NZ vs AFG |
| Lowest score defended | 103/8 (20 Ovs) – WIW vs PAKW |
NZ vs CAN Winner Prediction
New Zealand certainly entered this tournament as the top contenders to win the title. Apart from this, New Zealand also has a long and good experience of playing in these conditions. They have good batters and bowlers capable of winning matches from almost any situation. New Zealand should definitely want to get on the winning track. So, New Zealand will be the favourites to win this match.
On the other hand, Canada has performed so far in the tournament and is still searching for its first win. However, Canada has some excellent players who can perform well and make a mark in this tournament..
Our Prediction: New Zealand
T20 World Cup 2026 Live Streaming Details
| Region | Where to Watch |
|---|---|
| India | Star Sports, Jio Hotstar |
| Sri Lanka | ThePapare, Dialog Play |
| Pakistan | Myco, Tamasha, Tapmad, ARY Zapp |
| Afghanistan | AF Sports |
| Bangladesh | TSM (via Rabbithole) |
| North America | Willow |
| Middle East & North Africa | E& (selected matches), ICC.tv |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports, ICC.tv |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport, ICC.tv |
| New Zealand | Sky TV NZ , ICC.tv |
| Australia, Europe, Caribbean, SE Asia, Pacific Islands, South America | ICC.tv |
Code: TOPBK
