Afghanistan's Omarzai Shines as UAE Struggles

UAE's Sohaib Khan leads recovery after early wicket

Sohaib Khan's 68 helps UAE recover from early setback against Afghanistan in T20 World Cup match.

This reprieve sparked a recovery for UAE, with Sohaib Khan and Alishan Sharafu putting on 84 runs for the second wicket...

Afghanistan's hopes of reaching the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup just got a boost after they defeated the United Arab Emirates by five wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai was the star of the show, taking four wickets and scoring an unbeaten 40 runs.

This win sends South Africa, who already have six points from three games, into the Super 8 alongside defending champions India and two-time winners West Indies. Afghanistan's next match is against Canada, and they'll need a win to keep their Super 8 hopes alive.

New Zealand is poised to secure the second Super Eight spot in Group D with a win against Canada, given their current four-point lead. They're looking to bounce back from their loss to South Africa, with powerplay struggles and Rachin Ravindra's form being key concerns.

In other Group D action, Afghanistan's Omarzai starred with both bat and ball, claiming 4-15 and scoring 40 not out off 21 balls to lead his team to a thrilling win over UAE. This was Afghanistan's first win in the tournament, and they'll be looking to build on this momentum against Canada.

“Always important to have a win at the World Cup and let's hope for the best in the rest of the competition,” Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said.

“We still have a little bit of hope that we can make it to the next stage. We just need to come up with a positive mindset.

“Even if we ⁠don't make it to the next round, we want to play with the same brand of cricket and make our nation proud.”

The match got interesting early on, with TV umpire Paul Reiffel making a crucial call in the first four overs. UAE opener Aryansh Sharma edged the first ball from Omarzai, but it was unclear if wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz had taken a clean catch.

Reiffel had to review multiple replays before deciding to give the batter the benefit of the doubt. This decision could have impacted the game, and Afghanistan will be grateful for not losing an early wicket.

Reiffel was back in action three balls later, and this time he had to make a tough call on a caught-behind appeal. After reviewing the replays, he decided Aryansh Sharma was out for a duck.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman's off-spin proved tricky for UAE, as he trapped captain Muhammad Waseem lbw for 10. Waseem reviewed the decision, but Reiffel stuck to his guns, and the appeal was upheld. 

Sohaib Khan was given lbw to Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the fourth over, but he survived after reviewing the decision. Replays showed the ball would've missed the leg stump, and he was given not out.

Azmatullah Omarzai was Afghanistan's key player with bat and ball in the win over UAE🔥

He wins @aramco POTM🏅

📝: https://t.co/GHf2c9yRGv pic.twitter.com/GwLbPcYqbt

— ICC (@ICC) February 16, 2026

This reprieve sparked a recovery for UAE, with Sohaib Khan and Alishan Sharafu putting on 84 runs for the second wicket. The pair helped steady the innings, with Sohaib scoring 68 and Sharafu contributing 40. 

Omarzai ended Sohaib's fine knock, which included four sixes and six fours. He was the architect of Afghanistan's win, and his all-round performance will give his team confidence.

Afghanistan lost early wicket Gurbaz, but Ibrahim Zadran (53) and Darwish Rasooli (33) kept them in the game. Omarzai's unbeaten 40 and crucial wickets sealed the win, with a four off Junaid Siddique getting the job done.