T20 World Cup: Afghanistan Face Must-Win Clash Against UAE in Bid to Stay Alive

New Delhi — Sometimes, the nature of a defeat leaves a deeper scar than the loss itself. The Afghanistan national cricket team experienced this harsh reality in Ahmedabad last week. While chasing 188 against the South Africa national cricket team, they appeared firmly in control before collapsing dramatically within a few deliveries, eventually losing the match in a rare double Super Over.

Following a four-day period of reflection, Afghanistan now face a crucial Group D fixture against the United Arab Emirates national cricket team at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday morning. A convincing victory is essential for Afghanistan to avoid an early exit from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

Historically, Afghanistan hold the upper hand in this rivalry. Out of 14 T20 International matches between the two teams, Afghanistan have won 11 while the UAE have secured three victories. However, Monday’s encounter marks their first meeting in a T20 World Cup. Afghanistan have also dominated recent contests, winning four of the last five matches, which may provide some confidence to the Rashid Khan-led squad.

Having reached the semifinals in the 2024 edition of the tournament, Afghanistan’s losses to New Zealand and South Africa have placed them in a precarious position. They now require not only wins but also favourable results in other matches — a scenario that occasionally unfolds in tournaments but remains uncertain.

The greater concern, however, lies in how those defeats occurred. Against South Africa, Afghanistan were not outclassed throughout the match but lost control at a decisive moment. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was in commanding form and appeared set to guide his team to their first win of the campaign before a sudden collapse derailed the chase.

Afghanistan’s management is expected to focus on stabilising their batting lineup, particularly addressing the recurring issue of consecutive wicket losses that intensify pressure on the middle order. The team may need to adopt a more measured approach, encouraging at least one batter to anchor the innings instead of maintaining relentless attacking play — a slight but potentially vital shift from their traditionally aggressive style. Gurbaz’s consistency under pressure could play a key role in Afghanistan’s survival hopes.

Bowling at the death has also been a major weakness. Afghanistan have conceded 72 runs between overs 17 and 20 in this tournament, maintaining an economy rate of 12.3 — one of the highest among participating teams, with only Oman and Canada performing worse in this phase.

The team will be relying on experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nabi to regain his finishing ability with the bat. Meanwhile, seam-bowling all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament with four wickets, will need to improve his economy rate. He has conceded over 40 runs in two matches and was also expensive during the Super Over against South Africa.

On the other hand, the UAE enter the match with renewed confidence after registering their second-ever Men’s T20 World Cup victory. They defeated Canada by five wickets at the same venue on Friday, successfully chasing their target with two balls remaining. Their composure during the final overs was particularly impressive, scoring 56 runs in the last 22 deliveries.

Senior pacer Junaid Siddique delivered a standout performance with figures of 5-35, marking the first five-wicket haul by a UAE bowler in T20 World Cups. Additionally, opener Aryansh Sharma’s unbeaten 74 and Sohaib Khan’s aggressive 51 highlighted the team’s strong batting depth alongside captain Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu.

Momentum in T20 cricket can shift rapidly. Afghanistan experienced this unpredictability against South Africa, and Monday’s contest presents them with a chance to regain control. Failure to do so could result in their early departure from the tournament.

Match Details:

• Date & Time: Monday, February 16, 11:00 AM IST

• Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi

• Live Broadcast: Star Sports Network

• Live Streaming: JioHotstar

Squads:

Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (captain), Noor Ahmad, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Ishaq Rahimi, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi

UAE: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Haider Shah, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, Simranjeet Singh

With inputs from IANS