New Delhi, February 16, 2026 –Afghanistan vs UAE T20 ICC World Cup: The “Group of Death” (Group D) lived up to its name as Afghanistan narrowly edged out a resilient UAE side. After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Afghanistan restricted the UAE to 160/9, largely thanks to a clinical four-wicket haul by Azmatullah Omarzai. Despite a brilliant 68 from UAE’s Sohaib Khan, the Afghan batters—anchored by Ibrahim Zadran’s 53 and finished by Omarzai’s late blitz—chased down the target with four balls to spare.
Afghanistan vs UAE Match Overview: A Tale of Two Halves
The UAE innings started in disaster as Aryansh Sharma (0) and captain Muhammad Waseem (10) fell within the first two overs. However, Alishan Sharafu (40) and the in-form Sohaib Khan rebuilt the innings with a massive 84-run stand. Sohaib, playing on his former home ground in Delhi, looked untouchable until Omarzai returned for his second spell to trigger a collapse. UAE lost 7 wickets for just 67 runs in the final 10 overs, finishing at a competitive but underwhelming 160.
Afghanistan’s chase was equally dramatic. Star opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a second-ball duck, sending shockwaves through the Afghan dugout. Ibrahim Zadran played the anchor role to perfection, but regular wickets kept the UAE in the hunt. With 52 needed off the final five overs, Azmatullah Omarzai walked in and took the game by the scruff of its neck, smashing three sixes to ensure a five-wicket win in the final over.
Afghanistan vs UAE Match Scorecard: Detailed Statistics
1st Innings: United Arab Emirates Batting
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Aryansh Sharma (wk) | c Gurbaz b Omarzai | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Muhammad Waseem (c) | lbw b Mujeeb | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 166.67 |
| Alishan Sharafu | c Zadran b Mujeeb | 40 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 129.03 |
| Sohaib Khan | c Mujeeb b Omarzai | 68 | 48 | 6 | 4 | 141.67 |
| Syed Haider | b Omarzai | 13 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 130.00 |
| Harshit Kaushik | c Gurbaz b Omarzai | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Muhammad Arfan | hit wicket b Rashid Khan | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Haider Ali | run out (Gurbaz) | 13 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 108.33 |
| Simranjeet Singh | not out | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Junaid Siddique | run out (Rashid/Gurbaz) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Extras | (w 4, nb 2, lb 4) | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | (20 Overs) | 160/9 | RR: 8.00 |
Afghanistan Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 4.0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 4.0 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 7.75 |
| Rashid Khan | 4.0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Ziaur Rahman | 4.0 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 10.75 |
| Noor Ahmad | 3.0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 11.66 |
| Gulbadin Naib | 1.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8.00 |
2nd Innings: Afghanistan Batting (Target: 161)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | c Sohaib b Junaid | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | c Waseem b Arfan | 53 | 41 | 6 | 1 | 129.27 |
| Gulbadin Naib | c Kaushik b Arfan | 13 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 108.33 |
| Sediqullah Atal | b Jawadullah | 16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 114.29 |
| Darwish Rasooli | b Junaid | 33 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 143.48 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | not out | 40 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 190.48 |
| Mohammad Nabi | not out | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | (w 4) | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | (19.2 Overs) | 162/5 | RR: 8.38 |
UAE Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Junaid Siddique | 3.2 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 6.90 |
| Muhammad Arfan | 4.0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 7.50 |
| M. Jawadullah | 4.0 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 9.75 |
| Haider Ali | 4.0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 8.25 |
| Simranjeet Singh | 4.0 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 9.25 |
Post-Match Analysis: Key Takeaways
1. The “Omarzai” Factor
If there was any doubt about who the next big T20 superstar is, Azmatullah Omarzai ended it today. Taking 4/15 with the ball to break the back of the UAE middle order and then scoring an unbeaten 40 (21) to finish the chase is one of the greatest all-round performances in World Cup history.
2. Rashid Khan’s 700th Wicket
History was made in the 16th over when Rashid Khan dismissed Muhammad Arfan. With that wicket, Rashid became the first player in history to reach 700 T20 wickets (across all domestic and international formats). It was a quiet day by his standards, but a monumental one for the record books.
3. UAE’s Missed Opportunity
The UAE will look back at the 12th over when they were 97/2. At that point, a score of 180+ seemed certain. The collapse that followed—losing 7 wickets for minimal runs—exposed their lower-order vulnerability against high-quality spin and death bowling.
4. Qualification Scenarios
This win earns Afghanistan their first points, moving them to 3rd in Group D. However, their fate is no longer in their own hands. They need Canada to pull off an upset against New Zealand; otherwise, the Afghans will be heading home early.
Player of the Match: Azmatullah Omarzai
For his sensational all-round display (4/15 and 40*), dragging Afghanistan across the finish line when the pressure was at its peak.