Afghanistan beat UAE by 5 wickets to clinch first win

Wednesday, 18 February 2026 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Afghanistan overcame early jitters to secure a five-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and get their first victory of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. The result also means Afghanistan have kept their slim hopes of reaching the Super Eights alive.

Opener Ibrahim Zadran’s composed 53 off 41 balls and Azmatullah Omarzai’s unbeaten 40 off 21 balls ensured the chase was completed with four balls to spare, even as UAE’s bowlers fought hard to keep the contest alive.

The pursuit of 161 began shakily, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Gulbadin Naib and Sediqullah Atal falling before the halfway mark. Zadran steadied the innings through a fluent knock laced with five fours and a six, but his dismissal reopened the door for UAE.

It was left to Omarzai, already the star with 4-15 in the first innings, to finish the job. His 21-ball cameo, laced with two fours and three sixes, sealed Afghanistan’s first winning points of the tournament.

For UAE, Muhammad Arfan’s disciplined spell brought two wickets and kept the chase tense, but the batting collapse in the middle overs left them short of a truly competitive total.

Their 160 was par at best, and Afghanistan’s batting depth proved to be decisive. The result also confirmed South Africa’s qualification for the Super Eights, where India and the West Indies previously confirmed their spots.