New Delhi, February 16 – Afghanistan’s bowlers, led by Azmatullah Omarzai’s 4-15, ensured that the promising middle-order surge of the UAE did not translate into a commanding total, restricting the Gulf side to 160/9 in their 20 overs during the Group D clash of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.
On a pitch with some moisture, Omarzai’s impressive spell, characterized by variations in line and length, dismantled the batting lineup, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman took two wickets, and Rashid Khan bowled a tight spell to keep the UAE within a competitive score.
Despite a shaky start, the UAE’s innings was steadied by a fluent 84-run partnership between Alishan Sharafu (40) and Sohaib Khan (68) for the third wicket. The duo effectively countered the spin attack and provided momentum to the innings.
Sohaib’s 68, his second successive fifty at this venue, came off 47 balls, featuring five fours and two sixes. This performance ensured that the UAE reached 160 despite losing four wickets in the last five overs.
Aryansh Sharma faced a nervous start, surviving a caught-behind appeal off the first ball. Replays showed that the edge barely missed Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and after a thorough review, he was not out.
However, this reprieve was short-lived. In the fourth delivery, a similar sequence unfolded – the ball brushing the bat, fielders moving together, and the third umpire confirming the dismissal after a DRS check.
Muhammad Waseem got off to a strong start, with a powerful drive past mid-on followed by a slog sweep that went over square leg after a misfield. However, his promising start was cut short when he was dismissed by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, with replays showing the ball clipping the top of the off-stump.
The UAE’s innings gained momentum in the fourth and fifth overs, with Sohaib and Sharafu counter-attacking to boost the run rate. Sohaib, in particular, hit boundaries off Ziaur Rahman, clearing backward point, edging past the keeper, and then pulling disdainfully over square leg. A no-ball only added to Afghanistan’s frustration, as the free-hit was safely negotiated and the partnership began to form.
Sharafu found his rhythm against Mujeeb Ur Rahman, lofting straight over the bowler’s head and sweeping with authority. The pair combined to score 28 runs in successive overs, bringing the UAE to 55 for two at the end of the powerplay.
Mujeeb and Rashid operated with a slip in place, probing for edges, but bowling fuller lengths occasionally allowed the batters to get their runs. Sohaib Khan, in particular, punished Noor Ahmad with consecutive boundaries and a six, while he and Rashid Khan were each dismissed for a maximum by Sharafu.
Despite Sharafu's dismissal to Mujeeb, a mistimed loft to long-off broke a promising 84-run partnership, Sohaib continued to rotate the strike, while Syed Haider announced himself with a crisp sweep off Rashid for four and a towering six against Noor.
Although Sohaib got his fifty with a lofted six over Rashid’s head, he lost support from the other end as Omarzai squared up Syed Haider and took out the top of the off-stump, while Harshit Kaushik was out through a duck and Muhammad Arfan was dismissed through a hit wicket off Rashid, who achieved his 700th T20 wicket.
Sohaib and Haider Ali shifted gears to provide the UAE with a good finishing flourish through a flurry of strokes against Rahman. While Sohaib swivelled across to dispatch a short delivery over long leg for six, Haider opened the bat face late to glide a short ball past the keeper, and then unfurled a crisp drive through cover to get two fours, as 18 runs came off the 18th over.
After Sohaib sliced through the gap at point, he looked to pull a short ball from Omarzai, but the top edge was caught by the fielder in the deep, while Haider and Junaid Siddique were run-out in the final over, as 46 runs came in the last five overs.
Brief Scores: UAE 160/9 in 20 overs (Sohaib Khan 68, Alishan Sharafu 40; Azmatullah Omarzai 4-15, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-31) against Afghanistan.
