Afghanistan kept their slim Super 8 hopes alive with a five-wicket victory over UAE at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, though their fate remains dependent on other results.
Azmatullah Omarzai was the architect of victory, first claiming 4/15 with the ball to restrict UAE to 160/9 before playing a composed unbeaten 40 off 21 balls to guide the chase home with four balls remaining.
Despite a fighting 84-run partnership between Alishan Sharafu (40) and Sohaib Khan (68), UAE fell short of a competitive total as Afghanistan’s spinners tightened the screws in the middle overs.
The chase wasn’t without drama as Rahmanullah Gurbaz departed for a golden duck and Afghanistan stuttered to lose wickets at regular intervals, but Ibrahim Zadran’s steady 53 and Omarzai’s crucial cameo ensured Afghanistan recorded their first win of the tournament.
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Afghanistan vs UAE, T20 World Cup, Group D |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Result | Afghanistan won by 5 wickets |
| UAE | 160/9 (20 overs) |
| Afghanistan | 162/5 (19.2 overs) |
| Player of the Match | Azmatullah Omarzai (4-0-15-4 & 40* off 21) |
| Toss | Afghanistan won and chose to field |
First Innings Highlights
UAE’s innings got off to a nightmarish start as Azmatullah Omarzai struck with his first delivery, removing Aryansh Sharma (0) caught behind, though initially given not out before a successful review.
Muhammad Waseem (10 off 6 with 2 fours) counter-attacked briefly before Mujeeb Ur Rahman trapped him lbw. Alishan Sharafu and Sohaib Khan then steadied the ship with an 84-run partnership for the third wicket.
Sharafu played fluently for 40 off 31 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes), striking boundaries against both pace and spin before holing out to long-off off Mujeeb.
Sohaib Khan was the lone warrior for UAE, crafting a brilliant 68 off 48 balls (6 fours, 4 sixes) as he farmed the strike and kept the scoreboard ticking.
However, wickets fell regularly around him as UAE collapsed from 98/2 to 160/9. Syed Haider (13) and Haider Ali (13) contributed cameos but couldn’t stay long enough.
Omarzai cleaned up the tail, finishing with exceptional figures of 4/15 including the final wicket of Sohaib. Rashid Khan (1/24) and Mujeeb (2/31) applied pressure through the middle overs.
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Sohaib Khan | 68 runs (48 balls, 6×4, 4×6) |
| Best Bowler | Azmatullah Omarzai | 4-0-15-4 |
Second Innings Highlights
Afghanistan’s chase began disastrously as Junaid Siddique removed Rahmanullah Gurbaz (0 off 2) caught at third man in the first over.
Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib (13 off 12 with 1 four, 1 six) attempted to rebuild before Muhammad Arfan struck twice, dismissing Naib caught at backward point and later accounting for Sediqullah Atal (16 off 14 with 1 four, 1 six) bowled through the gate.
Afghanistan slipped to 72/3 before Zadran found support from Darwish Rasooli. Zadran played the anchor role perfectly, reaching his fifty with a couple off Simranjeet Singh and finishing with 53 off 41 balls (6 fours, 1 six).
Rasooli provided crucial impetus with 33 off 23 balls (3 fours, 1 six), striking boundaries against both pace and spin. When Zadran fell caught at long-off off Arfan with 63 still needed, Afghanistan needed composure.
Azmatullah Omarzai provided exactly that, striking cleanly from the start and racing to 40* off just 21 balls. He smashed two sixes and two fours in an unbroken 29-run partnership with Mohammad Nabi to seal victory with four balls to spare, finishing the match with a boundary through cover.
| Category | Player | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Best Batsman | Ibrahim Zadran | 53 runs (41 balls, 6×4, 1×6) |
| Best Bowler | Muhammad Arfan | 4-0-30-2 |
