T20 World Cup: Azmatullah Omarzai’s ‘All-round’ Performance Helps Afghanistan Beat UAE By Five Wickets

Afghanistan pulled off a dramatic victory over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to register their first in discovering of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026 in match 28 held on the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.

Azmatullah Omarzai played a match-successful knock while chasing after achieving impressive bowling figures of 15/4 in Afghanistan’s third Neighborhood D fixture, which helped the Rashid Khan-led side bag a five-wicket in discovering over the UAE.

Chasing a anxious target of 161 runs, Junaid Siddique removed the in-originate batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz on the 2d transport of the first over. This was the fifth instance in T20Is that Siddique brushed aside Gurbaz.

Gulbadin Naib joined Ibrahim Zadran, and the duo added 40 runs for the 2d wicket. Zadran centered Haider Ali and hit four boundaries to ranking 18 runs from the fourth over.

Naib thumped Muhammad Jawadullah for a pair of boundaries within the following over, sooner than shedding his wicket to Muhammad Arfan within the sixth over.

Sediqullah Atal changed him on the crease and added 30 runs for the third wicket with Zadran sooner than shedding his wicket to Jawadullah after making 16 off 14 balls.

Zadran executed his half of-century but lost his wicket quickly after that. He made fifty three runs off 41 balls, alongside with six fours and a six.

Darwish Rasooli added 43 runs for the fifth wicket with Azmatullah Omarzai. Rasooli made 33 off 23 balls with the aid of 4 boundaries.

52 runs had been wished within the last five overs, but Omarzai made it understand easy, first by setting a partnership with Rasooli, then ending the match within the last couple of overs.

Omarzai remained unbeaten on 40 off 21 balls with the aid of two fours and three sixes. He also hit the successful boundary on the 2d transport of the last over as Afghanistan secured their first victory of the competition.

Earlier, Afghanistan halted the UAE at 160/9 in 20 overs after challenging them to bat first. Omarzai was the completely bowler for Afghanistan as he picked up four wickets while conceding 15 runs in his four overs. Mujeeb Ur Rahman also took a pair of wickets. Captain Rashid Khan also took one wicket within the match and was the first-ever cricketer to complete 700 T20 wickets.

Alishan Sharafu made 40 runs off 31 balls, and Sohaib Khan’s 68 runs off forty eight balls helped the UAE living a anxious target for the Afghans.

Afghanistan’s last community-stage fixture is towards Canada, scheduled for Thursday at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, while the UAE will face South Africa in New Delhi on Wednesday.