In a thrilling ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group D encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Afghanistan defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by five wickets, securing their first win of the tournament.
Sent in to bat, the UAE posted a competitive 160 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs, with Sohaib Khan top-scoring with 68 runs and Alishan Sharafu adding 40. Afghanistan’s bowling attack was led by Azmatullah Omarzai, who took 4 wickets for 15 runs, restricting the UAE to a chaseable total.
Chasing 161, Afghanistan reached the target in 19.2 overs with contributions from Ibrahim Zadran, who scored 53, and Azmatullah Omarzai, who remained unbeaten on 40, guiding his side home with four balls to spare. Omarzai’s all-round effort earned him the Player of the Match award.
The victory keeps Afghanistan’s hopes alive in the Super Eight qualification race as the tournament progresses.
