Afghanistan Register First Win of 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup with Five-Wicket Victory over UAE

New Delhi, Feb 16 : Afghanistan overcame early jitters and a spirited bowling challenge to secure a crucial five-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, opening their account in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. The win not only lifted team morale but also kept Afghanistan’s slim hopes of progressing to the Super Eights alive.

Chasing a target of 161, Afghanistan national cricket team showed composure under pressure, thanks largely to a measured half-century from opener Ibrahim Zadran and a match-winning all-round performance from Azmatullah Omarzai. Zadran struck a calm 53 off 41 balls, while Omarzai followed up his four-wicket haul earlier in the day with an unbeaten 40 off just 21 deliveries, steering Afghanistan home with four balls to spare.

The chase, however, did not begin smoothly. Afghanistan suffered an early setback when Rahmanullah Gurbaz departed for a two-ball duck, slicing a lofted attempt off Junaid Siddique straight to point. The early movement and bounce extracted by the UAE pacers continued to pose problems, and wickets of Gulbadin Naib and Sediqullah Atal before the halfway mark left Afghanistan wobbling.

Zadran, unfazed by the early losses, anchored the innings with maturity beyond his years. He found his rhythm quickly, lifting a half-volley back over the bowler’s head to register his first boundary. The fourth over proved pivotal as Zadran unfurled a series of strokes—cuts, lofted drives and sweeps—to pick up three boundaries and inject momentum into the innings.

Gulbadin Naib briefly joined the act, clubbing Jawadullah over long-on for a towering six and following it up with a crisp cover drive. But just as Afghanistan seemed to settle, Muhammad Arfan struck a crucial blow, inducing Gulbadin into a mistimed shot that resulted in a straightforward catch at point.

While wickets fell at the other end, Zadran continued to rotate strike effectively, punctuating his innings with well-timed boundaries. Sediqullah Atal added some impetus by clipping Arfan for four and smacking Simranjeet Singh over long-on for six, but his stay was cut short by a beauty from Jawadullah—a dipping yorker that breached his defence and rattled the stumps.

Zadran reached his fifty in 37 balls with a brace through mid-wicket, showcasing his ability to blend caution with controlled aggression. However, UAE sensed an opening when Arfan returned to the attack and dismissed Zadran, who top-edged a pull to a fielder running in from deep mid-wicket. With 61 runs required off the final six overs, the contest hung in the balance.

It was then that Omarzai, already Afghanistan’s hero with the ball, took charge with the bat. Alongside Darwish Rasooli, he counter-attacked intelligently, finding timely boundaries to ease the pressure. Rasooli lofted Jawadullah for four and then launched Arfan straight down the ground for a massive six, briefly swinging momentum Afghanistan’s way.

Omarzai showcased his power-hitting prowess, dispatching Simranjeet over long-off for six and later punishing Junaid Siddique with a clean strike over the same region. UAE continued to fight back, with Siddique knocking over Rasooli’s stumps with a full, straight delivery, but Omarzai remained unshaken.

In the final overs, Omarzai broke free from Jawadullah’s slower balls, smashing one over deep extra cover for six and guiding another fine leg for four. Fittingly, he sealed the chase in style with a lofted drive over cover, sparking celebrations in the Afghan camp.

Earlier, UAE’s total of 160 for nine had looked competitive but ultimately proved to be only par. The middle-order resistance led by Sohaib Khan and Alishan Sharafu was undone by Afghanistan’s disciplined bowling, particularly Omarzai’s incisive spell of 4 for 15.

The result also had implications beyond the match itself. Afghanistan’s victory confirmed South Africa national cricket team’s qualification for the Super Eights, joining India national cricket team and the West Indies cricket team, who had already secured their places.

For Afghanistan, this win could yet prove a turning point, restoring belief and momentum at a critical stage of the tournament.

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.