Afghanistan finally got their first points of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a much-needed win over the UAE on February 16 in Delhi. UAE fought hard after posting 160, but Afghanistan stayed calm in the chase and finished the job with 4 balls left.
Azmatullah Omarzai led the match with a complete all-around show. He took four wickets, then smashed an unbeaten 40 to take Afghanistan home.
Match Summary
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Afghanistan vs UAE, 28th Match (Group D) |
| Date | 16 Feb 2026 |
| Venue | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Toss | Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bowl |
| UAE Score | 160/9 (20 overs) |
| Afghanistan Score | 162/5 (19.2 overs) |
| Result | Afghanistan won by 5 wickets (4 balls remaining) |
UAE Reach 160 But Lose Late Wickets
UAE lost Aryansh Sharma early for a duck and then also lost captain Muhammad Waseem quickly. Alishan Sharafu and Sohaib Khan rebuilt the innings and added momentum through the middle overs.
Sohaib played the main innings for UAE with 68, while Sharafu made 40. But once Afghanistan struck in the death overs, UAE slipped from a strong position to 160/9.
Top Batting Performances
| Player | Team | Runs (Balls) | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sohaib Khan | UAE | 68 (48) | 6 | 4 |
| Alishan Sharafu | UAE | 40 (31) | 3 | 2 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | AFG | 53 (41) | 6 | 1 |
| Darwish Rasooli | AFG | 33 (23) | 3 | 1 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | AFG | 40* (21) | 2 | 3 |
Afghanistan Chase: Zadran Sets Base, Omarzai Finishes
Afghanistan had an early setback as Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a two-ball duck. Ibrahim Zadran then played the anchor role and kept the chase stable.
Darwish Rasooli added quick runs in the middle overs, but UAE kept taking wickets to keep the match alive. Omarzai then flipped the game late with clean hitting and closed the chase with Nabi at the other end. Afghanistan finished on 162/5 in 19.2 overs.
Top Bowling Performances
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azmatullah Omarzai | AFG | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3.75 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | AFG | 4 | 31 | 2 | 7.75 |
| Rashid Khan | AFG | 4 | 24 | 1 | 6.00 |
| Muhammad Arfan | UAE | 4 | 30 | 2 | 7.50 |
| Junaid Siddique | UAE | 3.2 | 23 | 2 | 6.90 |
Player of the Match: Azmatullah Omarzai
Azmatullah Omarzai won Player of the Match for a match-changing all-around performance. He picked up 4/15 with the ball, then stayed unbeaten on 40 off 21 to finish the chase under pressure.
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