Azmatullah Omarzai’s all-round show helps Afghanistan notch up first points in T20 World Cup 2026 with win over UAE

Afghanistan vs UAE T20 World Cup 2026: Rashid Khan’s side posted their first win of the tournament thanks to Azmatullah Omarzai’s all-round performance.

India.com at T20 World Cup 2026: Afghanistan all-rounder Azamatullah Omarzai put on a master-class with both bat and ball right from the opening over of the match as his team finally notched up their first points in the T20 World Cup 2026. Omarzai struck right in the first over of their Group C match against UAE at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Monday to complete his 50th T20I wicket and didn’t look back from there. Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan defeated UAE by five wickets with 4 balls to spare.

UAE had their moments of brilliance in the game as well with Sohaib Khan, notching up his second successive fifty in the T20 World Cup 2026, top-scoring with 68 off 48 balls with 4 sixes and six fours and put on 84 runs for the third wicket with Alishan Sharafu, who was impressive en route to scoring 40 off 31 balls with two sixes and three fours.

But Omarzai knocked the fight out of UAE after Sharafu’s dismissal. The Afghan all-rounder dismissed Syed Haider and Harshit Kaushik in the same over – the 15th of the UAE innings – to restrict their charge in the second half of the innings.

WATCH Azmatullah Omarzai dismiss UAE’s Harshit Kaushik HERE…

#Omarzai strikes again in rhythm, removing Harshit for a duck!
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | #AFGvUAE | LIVE NOW ➡️ https://t.co/xRf3Nc9OQ0 pic.twitter.com/FT08dA0COB
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 16, 2026

Add India.com as a Preferred Source

Omarzai was the pick of the Afghanistan bowlers, claiming 4/15 in 4 overs with his new-ball partner and mystery spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman claimed 2/31 as UAE were restricted to 160 for 9 after being sent into bat.

“I’m very happy with my performance. I was trying to bowl in the hard length and hit the pitch hard. It was funny for us (on the first ball non-wicket). First ball was a wicket, but the ball didn’t carry and I took four wickets again. That first wicket got the momentum for us,” Omarzai said at the post-match presentation in New Delhi.

In the chase, Afghans once again had some nervy moments. It was only the 4th time that they have managed to chase down a total in excess of 140 in the T20 World Cup while losing 10 and one ending in a tie.

Hero from their double Super Over match against South Africa, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, was dismissed for a duck in the first over of their chase by in-form Junaid Siddique of UAE. But his opening partner Ibrahim Zadran anchored the chase with 53 off 41 balls with 1 six and 6 fours.

Omarzai capped off a brilliant all-round display with an unbeaten 40 off 21 balls with three sixes and 2 fours while Darwish Rasooli chipped in with 33 off 23 balls with 1 six and 3 fours.

“When I went to bat, I looked at the scoreboard. There were a lot of balls for us. We needed to play straight and rotate the strike. And I was speaking to my partner, just play straight and we were waiting for the bad ball. It was a good game where everyone did really well and everyone did hard work,” Omarzai added.

Afghanistan are still out of the race of making the Super 8 stages and will need a miracle win from Canada against New Zealand to give them small ray of hope.

For all latest updates of T20 World Cup 2026 you can visit: https://www.india.com/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/