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DELHI: Afghanistan secured their first victory of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a composed five-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Chasing 161, Afghanistan stumbled early when Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a second-ball duck to Junaid Siddique in the opening over.
The innings was rebuilt through a steady partnership between Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib, who steadied the chase after the early setback.
Naib’s brief but useful 13 off 12 balls ended when he was dismissed by Muhammad Arfan, leaving Afghanistan at 40-2.
Sediqullah Atal chipped in with 16 before departing, while Zadran anchored the innings with a crucial 53 off 41 deliveries, striking six fours and a six to keep Afghanistan in control.
The chase was then guided home by Darwish Rasooli and Azmatullah Omarzai.
Rasooli made 33 off 23 balls before falling late in the innings, but Omarzai remained unbeaten on a brisk 40 from 21 deliveries, sealing victory in 19.2 overs with support from Mohammad Nabi.
Earlier, UAE endured a difficult start after being put in to bat.
Opener Aryansh Sharma was dismissed for a duck in the first over by Omarzai, while captain Muhammad Waseem followed soon after, trapped LBW by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, leaving UAE struggling at 13-2.
A solid recovery came through an 84-run stand between Alishan Sharafu and Sohaib Khan. Sharafu scored 40 before falling to Mujeeb, while Sohaib led the resistance with an impressive 68 off 48 balls, including six fours and four sixes.
However, the UAE’s middle order collapsed under pressure as Harshit Kaushik and Muhammad Arfan were dismissed for ducks, with Rashid Khan also striking at a crucial stage. UAE eventually posted 160 on the board but failed to defend it.
Omarzai starred with the ball as well, producing a match-winning spell of 4-15 in four overs. Mujeeb claimed two wickets, while Rashid added one, helping Afghanistan register a much-needed win.
