T20 World Cup 2026: Omarzai Seal Afghanistan’s Five-Wicket Win Over UAE

Azmatullah Omarzai produced one of the defining all-round performances of T20 World Cup 2026, collecting figures of 4 for 15 with the ball and an unbeaten 40 off 21 with the bat to guide Afghanistan to their first win of the tournament — a five-wicket victory over the United Arab Emirates in the 28th Group D match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on February 16, 2026. With 52 needed off the last five overs on a slow, grippy pitch that had squeezed both sides throughout, Afghanistan looked to be in serious trouble.

Omarzai’s decisive 43-run partnership with Darwish Rasooli — who hit a strike rate of 143 — changed the contest, and Omarzai finished it in style with 6, 4, 4 off his last three balls, sealing the win two balls into the final over. Equally historic was Rashid Khan’s 700th wicket in T20 cricket — the first bowler in history to reach the milestone — which snuffed out UAE’s momentum heading into the death overs. Afghanistan move to two points in Group D, keeping their Super Eights hopes alive.

Match Summary

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bowl on a surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium that stayed slow and grippy all day. UAE recovered from 13 for 2 in the powerplay through a magnificent 84-run partnership between Alishan Sharafu (40 off 31) and Sohaib Khan (68 off 38), before Omarzai’s double-wicket 15th over and Rashid’s historic 700th dismissal checked their progress. Ziaur Rahman — who came in for Fazalhaq Farooqi — was punished for 43 across his spell. UAE were eventually dismissed for 160 for 9.

In Afghanistan’s chase, Gurbaz fell early to Junaid Siddique, and Ibrahim Zadran’s 37-ball fifty steadied the innings before Muhammad Arfan removed him in the 14th over. With the death overs looming and 52 still required, Omarzai and Rasooli stitched together a match-winning partnership before Siddique removed Rasooli in the 18th over. Omarzai finished it off himself two balls into the 20th.

Match Scorecard

Player of the Match: Azmatullah Omarzai (4/15 & 40* off 21) Cricinfo’s MVP: Azmatullah Omarzai (167.71 pts) Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi Date: February 16, 2026 Toss: Afghanistan won; elected to bowl Historic milestone: Rashid Khan became the first bowler in T20 cricket history to take 700 wickets.

First Innings: UAE’s Batting (160/9 in 20 Overs)

Early Omarzai Swing — UAE 13 for 2

Afghanistan struck early with Omarzai generating prodigious swing off the new ball in the very first over of the match. Aryansh Sharma was the first to go, edging behind to the keeper as the ball moved late. Muhammad Waseem fell in the next over, leaving UAE at 13 for 2 and their innings in need of a rescue act.

Sohaib-Sharafu Orchestrate the Rescue

Alishan Sharafu (40 off 31) and Sohaib Khan (68 off 38) launched an extraordinary counter-attack that transformed UAE’s innings. They were particularly severe on Ziaur Rahman — who had come into the XI in place of Fazalhaq Farooqi — hitting 16 runs off his first over alone. Rahman finished with figures of 0 for 43. The pair also dispatched Noor Ahmed for 35 runs across his three wicketless overs. Their 84-run partnership saw UAE reach the relative safety of 55 for 2 in the powerplay and then continue to build aggressively through the middle overs.

Sharafu fell in the 12th over — miscuing a shot off Mujeeb Ur Rahman while dancing down the ground — with UAE at 97 for 3, and Sohaib continued to push the scoring rate. He was the mainstay of UAE’s innings, making 68 off 38 balls and combining attacking intent with composure under pressure.

UAE Batting Performance — First Innings

UAE Powerplay & Partnership Summary

Afghanistan Bowling Performance

Second Innings: Afghanistan’s Chase (162/5 in 19.2 Overs)

Gurbaz Falls Early — Zadran Consolidates

UAE struck in only the second ball of Afghanistan’s chase. Junaid Siddique had Rahmanullah Gurbaz mistiming a lofted drive to backward point, leaving Afghanistan immediately under pressure. Ibrahim Zadran took on the anchor role and found his best form of T20 World Cup 2026 — having had a quiet start to the tournament — bringing up a composed 37-ball fifty to keep Afghanistan in contention.

UAE’s bowlers, particularly Muhammad Arfan (2 for 39), exploited the slowness of the pitch expertly, making it difficult for Afghanistan’s batters to hit across the line or get underneath the ball effectively. Arfan removed Zadran in the 14th over — precisely the moment Afghanistan would have most needed their set batter — to add fresh pressure as the death overs approached.

Omarzai and Rasooli Turn the Match

With 52 needed off the last five overs and the pitch still slow, Afghanistan needed something exceptional. Omarzai and Rasooli provided exactly that, stitching together a 43-run partnership off just 4.2 overs that fundamentally shifted the balance of the match. Rasooli’s strike rate of 143 made him an ideal partner for Omarzai’s calculated assault.

Siddique returned in the 18th over and bowled out Rasooli’s middle stump to take his second wicket of the match, and offered a signal for calm to his teammates as he celebrated — a measured response given the margin was tightening. However, with four runs needed off the final over when Siddique returned to bowl it, Omarzai had other plans. He struck a four over covers on the second ball of the 20th over to finish the match with two balls to spare.

Omarzai’s final three balls produced 6, 4, 4. He finished unbeaten on 40 off 21 at a strike rate of 190.47 — the second highest in Afghanistan’s innings behind Rasooli’s 143 — on a day when those numbers told the story of a player who rose emphatically above a surface that constrained almost everyone else.

Afghanistan Batting Performance — Chase

UAE Bowling Performance

Afghanistan Chase Progression

Historic Milestone: Rashid Khan’s 700th T20 Wicket

In the 16th over, Rashid Khan became the first bowler in T20 cricket history to take 700 wickets. Muhammad Arfan attempted to scoop him from deep in his off side in front of middle stump, but lost balance and crashed into his own stumps.

The ball had barely mattered — the stumping had been self-inflicted — and Rashid’s reaction was one of bemused calm rather than celebration as his teammates swarmed around him. He had been economical but unthreatening across his spell before the milestone moment, finishing with 1 for 24. The 700th wicket nonetheless proved its value, snuffing out UAE’s momentum and restricting their final total to 160 for 9.

Match-Winning Performance: Azmatullah Omarzai

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