New Delhi: Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a stirring all-round performance with figures of 4-15 and a blistering unbeaten 40 off 21 balls as Afghanistan clinched their first victory of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, defeating the UAE by five wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.
On a surface offering slight moisture, Omarzai’s clever variations in line and length dismantled the UAE’s lower order, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman claimed two wickets and Rashid Khan kept things tight to restrict the UAE to 160/9.
The UAE innings had been revived by a fluent 84-run third-wicket partnership between Alishan Sharafu (40) and Sohaib Khan (68). Countering spin with calculated aggression, the duo steadied the innings after early setbacks and propelled the run rate during the power-play, taking 28 runs off successive overs to reach 55/2.
Sohaib’s 47-ball 68 — his second successive half-century at the venue — included five fours and two sixes. However, Sharafu’s mistimed loft off Mujeeb ended the partnership, and despite a late flourish that produced 46 runs in the final five overs, the UAE fell short of a commanding total. Omarzai returned to remove Syed Haider and later dismissed Sohaib with a sharp catch in the deep, sealing an outstanding spell. Rashid also reached a personal milestone, claiming his 700th T20 wicket when Muhammad Arfan was out hit wicket.
Chasing 161, Afghanistan suffered an early setback as Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a two-ball duck. But Ibrahim Zadran anchored the innings with a composed 53 off 41 deliveries, striking five fours and a six to keep the chase on track.
Zadran found support from Gulbadin Naib and later Sediqullah Atal, though both fell at crucial junctures to keep the contest alive. When Zadran top-edged a slower delivery from Muhammad Arfan, Afghanistan still required 61 off the final six overs.
Darwish Rasooli and Omarzai then shifted gears. Rasooli struck a six and a four to ease the pressure before falling to Junaid Siddique. Omarzai, however, took control — clearing the ropes three times and threading two boundaries with precision to ensure the chase was completed with four balls to spare. He fittingly sealed victory with a lofted drive over cover, securing Afghanistan’s first points of the tournament and keeping their slim Super Eights hopes alive.
For the UAE, Arfan (2-30) and Siddique (2-23) bowled with discipline, but a middle-order wobble and the inability to contain Omarzai at the death proved costly. The result also confirmed South Africa’s qualification for the Super Eights, joining India and the West Indies.
Brief Scores: UAE 160/9 in 20 overs (Sohaib Khan 68, Alishan Sharafu 40; Azmatullah Omarzai 4-15, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-31) lost to Afghanistan 162/5 in 19.2 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 53, Azmatullah Omarzai 40 not out; Junaid Siddique 2-23, Muhammad Arfan 2-30) by five wickets.
With IANS inputs