Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opening duo Finn Allen and Tim Seifert looked in blazing form playing for New Zealand in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 during the clash against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today (February 10). In the process, the Kiwi openers scripted a new world record for registering the highest-ever partnership in the history of T20 World Cups, after a 175* run unbeaten stand in the NZ vs UAE clash.
The NZ pair eclipsed England’s Alex Hales and Jos Buttler, who had smashed 170* against India during the 2022 edition of the tournament. Check top five below.
| Partners | Runs | Edition |
| Tim Seifert, Finn Allen (NZ) vs UAE | 175* | 2026 |
| Alex Hales, Jos Buttler (ENG) vs IND | 170* | 2022 |
| Rilee Rossouw, Quinton de Kock (SA) vs BAN | 168 | 2022 |
| Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (SL) vs WI | 166 | 2010 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran (AFG) vs UGA | 154 | 2024 |
Allen remained unbeaten on 84*(50 balls) while Seifert finished with 89*(42 balls) as the Kiwis chased down the target of 174 comfortably with 10 wickets and 28 balls remaining.
With the win, the Blackcaps maintained their unbeaten run in the ICC event, securing victories in both games after winning the opener against Afghanistan. New Zealand are now one step away from qualifying from Super 8s with another win confirming their qualification. The Mitchell Santner-led sided are currently table-toppers in Group D with four points and will face South Africa in a high-octane clash next on February 14.
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Finn Allen and Tim Serifert were bought by the three-time IPL winners last year during the IPL 2026 auction for INR 2cr and INR 1.5cr, respectively. However, whether they will open together or not remains a question and will depend on the KKR combinations. The duo was acquired as a replacement for Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, but with Ajinkya Rahane being one of the opening options, either Seifert or Allen will get a chance.
Also, playing them together will affect their overseas slots, with Cameron Green, Sunil Narine and Matheesha Pathirana being the other three foreign stars sure to feature in the KKR Playing XI. Nevertheless, the Kiwi duo’s recent exploits will definitely temp the KKR management to slot them at the top.
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