In a Group D match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Afghanistan achieved a thrilling five-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Azmatullah Omarzai was the standout performer, showcasing his skills with both bat and ball to steer Afghanistan clear of a potential upset and maintain their tournament momentum.
The match was filled with shifting dynamics and drama, as Afghanistan successfully chased down a target of 161 runs with four balls to spare. Despite a strong showing from the UAE, they could not overcome the determined Afghan side, particularly Omarzai’s composed play under pressure.
Azmatullah Omarzai’s impressive four-wicket haul
Choosing to bowl first, Afghanistan’s main pace bowler, Omarzai, set the initial tone. After a failed LBW review early on, he quickly found success by dismissing Aryansh Sharma for a duck just four balls into the innings. While Sohaib Khan scored a solid 68 and Alishan Sharafu contributed 40, the UAE struggled to break free from Omarzai’s tight bowling.
He returned during the final overs to break through the middle order, taking out Syed Haider and Harshit Kaushik in the 15th over, significantly slowing the UAE’s momentum. His impressive figures of 4 for 15 in four overs highlighted his effectiveness, as the UAE finished at 160/9, a total that was competitive but not insurmountable.
Omarzai leads Afghanistan’s successful chase
The chase for Afghanistan did not start well, as Junaid Siddique dismissed the explosive Rahmanullah Gurbaz without scoring in the first over, causing concern in the Afghan camp. Ibrahim Zadran played a crucial role, holding the innings together with 53 runs off 41 balls, but the UAE bowlers, particularly Muhammad Arfan (2/30), maintained the pressure with regular wickets.
After Zadran was out in the 14th over with the score reading 97/4, the game was finely balanced. At this critical moment, Omarzai stepped up again, scoring an unbeaten 40 off just 21 balls, which included three impressive sixes, helping shift the pressure back onto UAE.
Together with veteran Mohammad Nabi, Omarzai played a pivotal role in securing the win. In the final over, needing 11 runs, Omarzai kept his cool as Afghanistan reached 162/5 with four balls to spare.
