The setting: M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. The protagonist: Tim Seifert.
Two chases, two wins, and two Participant-of-the-Match awards — the frequent thread in New Zealand’s victories over Afghanistan and the UAE in Chennai has been its daredevil wicketkeeper-opener’s ballistic brilliance.
True to his nickname ‘Bam Bam’, the 31-year-old muscled his method via the Afghan and Emirati bowlers in his first two outings of the continuing T20 World Cup.
Whereas his 42-ball 65 in opposition to Rashid Khan’s males got here when his facet was underneath the pump (following Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s double-wicket second over), his unbeaten 42-ball 89 in opposition to the Center Japanese nation made a 174-run chase as easy and spotless as one might hope for: a 10-wicket victory with 28 balls to spare.
The icing on the cake was the 175-run unbroken opening partnership between him and his associate in crime, Finn Allen, which stands as the best for any wicket in T20 World Cup historical past.
“No. I didn’t know that. I’m not a lot of a stats man, however we’ll take it,” Seifert mentioned after choosing up his second PoM award in a row.
Spectacular numbers
Seifert will not be fascinated with checking the report books, however he positive has racked up some spectacular numbers.
Not solely did he go previous the two,000-run mark in T20Is through the innings in opposition to Afghanistan, however he additionally turned the fifth quickest amongst full member nations to breach the landmark (1,395 deliveries).
Tim Seifert has received back-to-back Participant-of-the-Match awards within the ongoing T20 World Cup.
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B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
With 816 runs at a mean of 51 (20 innings), Seifert can also be among the many top-five run-getters in T20Is since 2025, an inventory helmed by India’s Abhishek Sharma (1,041 runs in 27 innings).
The trail to consistency has not been easy for the Kiwi batter. Since making his T20I debut in 2018, Seifert has needed to reinvent his sport in accordance with the ever-changing crew dynamics.
Seifert, who grew up watching and being in awe of Brendon McCullum, confirmed precisely what he was able to when he lastly obtained his likelihood to open after shuttling up and down the order in his first eight T20Is. His 43-ball 84 on February 6, 2019, not solely arrange the Black Caps’ 80-run win over India, but additionally made the world take discover of the brute pressure and cheekiness in his batting arsenal.
“Form of humorous once I obtained advised that I’ll be opening the innings. I YouTubed Brendon McCullum and watched a few of his innings,” Seifert mentioned after claiming his first PoM trophy in T20Is.
“I’d be mendacity if I mentioned Baz wasn’t considered one of my heroes rising up. Clearly you attempt to be your self on the market, however I undoubtedly have checked out Baz all through my childhood,” Seifert added within the press convention that adopted.
The hiatus
The shortest format’s unforgiving nature didn’t spare Seifert both. A stacked New Zealand top-order, together with Martin Guptill, Colin Munro and Kane Williamson meant that Seifert needed to bide his time for a constant run as an opener. This led to a dip in returns, culminating in a 2021 T20 World Cup the place he felt extra like a spectator than a central determine. He finally misplaced his place within the set-up altogether.
After the third match in opposition to India in Eden Gardens on November 21, 2021, Seifert didn’t play a T20I till April 2, 2023. The lengthy and arduous hiatus, although, didn’t deter his willpower. He was nearly dwelling out of a suitcase, hopping from one T20 league to the opposite and slowly refining his batsmanship to the required requirements.
Software program replace
A look at his T20I numbers earlier than and after his comeback confirmed Seifert 2.0 got here with a fairly profitable software program replace.
Whereas his common hovered under 24 in his first 40 T20Is, the quantity jumped to simply shy of 39 in his subsequent 43 video games. The runs scored for each six balls he confronted, too, noticed a drastic enhance (7.78 to 9.39), underlining the truth that he didn’t commerce explosiveness for consistency.
Even after changing into a mainstay within the Kiwi line-up, Seifert doesn’t miss an opportunity to allude to his globetrotting adventures, the place he learnt the invaluable artwork of judging a pitch.
Tim Seifert and Finn Allen kind a lethal opening pair.
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B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
“Cricket is a sport that you just play on each wicket. It doesn’t matter what match you’re enjoying in, it doesn’t matter what floor you’re in, the wicket’s going to be completely different,” Seifert mentioned within the combined zone, after his whirlwind knock in opposition to Afghanistan on Sunday.
“And as a batter, you’ve obtained to adapt and determine fairly rapidly the way you’re going to play on that wicket. That’s one of many ability units that I’ve taken from franchise cricket, which is simply adapting to completely different situations and likewise enjoying some world-class bowlers,” he mentioned.
It additionally helped his trigger that he was demoted down the order solely six instances within the 41 innings following his return. And Seifert is grateful for the chance, whereas remaining pragmatically open to shifting roles.
“Yeah, once I began my profession, I batted down at middle-order as a ’keeper-batter. Then, over the previous few years, I’ve been on the high persistently, which is nice,” Seifert mentioned after his first match-winning knock within the 2026 showpiece.
“I’ve nonetheless obtained the power to play within the middle-order if any crew wants. However, yeah, batting on the high permits me to simply go on the market and put stress on the bowlers. And I believe that’s the principle factor in these tournaments, the place you may get the crew off to begin within the PowerPlay,” he mentioned.
Seifert=du Plessis
Working with the likes of McCullum, Ricky Ponting, Phil Simmons, and Kieron Pollard throughout numerous world leagues didn’t simply rebuild his confidence, it gave him a world-class laboratory to fine-tune his mechanics. After lots of trial and error, he landed on a fairly distinctive, but productive, batting stance. To a eager observer, it was evident that Seifert adopted a brand new stance that eerily mirrors South Africa veteran Faf du Plessis.
The brand new set-up — characterised by a excessive sledge-hammer bat-lift and an open shoulder — agrees properly with Seifert’s muscular forearms, permitting the basher in him to take over with out inhibitions. This tweak diminished his dependency on high-risk 360-degree improvements whereas additionally rising his proficiency in hitting via the road.
New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi, too, gave his stamp of approval for the tactical shift, including that the set-up has opened up a number of avenues for Seifert in opposition to the slower bowlers.
“That’s one thing he determined he wished to do as a result of it simply felt pure. It’s fairly a giant motion, and clearly not many individuals have that kind of fashion. However once more it makes him clear and calm in how he desires to do it,” Ronchi mentioned forward of the Kiwis’ match in opposition to the UAE.
The celebrities align
The celebrities appear to be aligning for the Kiwi batter. After a dismal 2021 World Cup and heartbreaking absences in 2022 and 2024 — the third regardless of sustaining prolific numbers — the 2026 extravaganza has seen Seifert develop into the primary to breach the 150-run mark this match (154 runs in two outings).
That these heroics occurred in Chennai is a script no author might have penned higher. It was on this coastal metropolis, through the 2021 IPL, that Seifert confronted his hardest problem: testing optimistic for COVID-19 and being left behind as the one abroad participant in isolation.
“The world stops just a little bit,” a visibly emotional Seifert had mentioned after his two-week quarantine in Chennai.
5 years later, the world stopped once more — not in sympathy, however in awe of his ‘Bam Bam’ brilliance at Chepauk.
