Omarzai stars as Afghanistan edge UAE to keep Super 8 hopes alive

Afghanistan overcame a spirited UAE effort to register their first win of the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup, keeping their Super 8 hopes afloat. An all-round show from Azmatullah Omarzai underpinned the victory, with the 25-year-old returning 4 for 15 to restrict UAE to 160 for 9 before smashing an unbeaten 40 off 21 to take Afghanistan home in the final over.

Fresh off a five-wicket haul against Canada, Junaid Siddique gave UAE the ideal start by having Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught at third man. Afghanistan began quietly, managing only nine runs in the first three overs, before Ibrahim Zadran injected momentum into the chase. He struck three fours and a six off Haider Ali in the fourth over, while Gulbadin Naib joined in with a six and a four off Muhammad Jawadullah. Naib, however, fell soon after, cutting Muhammad Arfan straight to backward point, as Afghanistan finished the PowerPlay at 41 for 2.

Zadran and Sediqullah Atal added 30 for the third wicket, but UAE's bowlers stayed disciplined. Jawadullah broke the stand with a yorker that bowled Atal, leaving Afghanistan at 71 for 3 at the halfway mark. Zadran then brought up a 37-ball fifty but was dismissed by Arfan soon after, with Afghanistan slipping to 97 for 4 in the 14th over.

Needing 61 from the final six overs, Afghanistan found themselves under pressure before Darwish Rasooli and Omarzai swung the game back with timely boundaries. Their counterattack reduced the equation to 28 off 18, though Siddique returned to remove Rasooli for 33 after being struck for a six by Omarzai. Jawadullah kept things tight for most of the 19th over, but Omarzai's decisive six and four brought the target down to four in the last over. He then sealed the chase with a boundary off Siddique, as Afghanistan won with four balls to spare.

Earlier, after being asked to bat, UAE recovered from an early wobble to post a competitive total, although a late collapse denied them a stronger finish. Omarzai struck in the opening over to remove Aryansh Sharma, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman trapped Muhammad Waseem lbw as UAE slipped to 13 for 2. Despite the setbacks, Sohaib Khan and Alishan Sharafu counterattacked with positive intent, finding regular boundaries to take UAE to 55 for 2 at the end of the PowerPlay.

The recovery gathered momentum through the middle overs as the pair took on Afghanistan's spinners to take UAE to 97 for 2 at the halfway stage. Their 84-run stand put their side in control, but the innings lost direction when wickets began to fall around Sohaib just as he looked set to accelerate. He kept finding boundaries and raised his fifty with a six off Rashid Khan.

The momentum swung back in Afghanistan's favour once Sharafu fell to Mujeeb. Omarzai led the fightback at the death as UAE lost wickets in clusters. Sohaib's dismissal for a well-made 68 in the 19th over proved crucial, and a chaotic final over featuring multiple run-outs summed up the scramble, leaving UAE with 160 for 9.

Brief scores:
UAE 160/9 in 20 overs (Sohaib Khan 68, Alishan Sharafu 40; Azmatullah Omarzai 4-15) lost to Afghanistan 162/5 in 19.2 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 53, Azmatullah Omarzai 40*; Junaid Siddique 2-23) by 5 wickets.