Azmatullah Omarzai stars as Afghanistan seal first T20 World Cup win

On a smog-laden afternoon in the capital, Azmatullah Omarzai produced a performance of composure and class to guide Afghanistan to their first victory of the T20 World Cup, overcoming a spirited challenge from the United Arab Emirates national cricket team.

Chasing 161 on a slow, gripping surface, Afghanistan were pushed to the brink, needing 52 runs off the final five overs. While such targets are routinely chased down in modern T20 cricket, the sluggish pitch in Delhi made strokeplay difficult and timing elusive.

Omarzai ensured there would be no late heartbreak. With Afghanistan requiring four runs in the final over, he sealed the contest in emphatic fashion, striking 6, 4, 4 in his final three deliveries to finish unbeaten on 40 from just 21 balls at a strike rate of 190.47. His calculated aggression brought calm to a side that had previously tied three of their six T20Is in India.

Earlier in the chase, Afghanistan were jolted when Rahmanullah Gurbaz mistimed a lofted drive off Junaid Siddique to backward point on the second ball of the innings. Ibrahim Zadran then steadied proceedings with a measured 37-ball half-century, anchoring the innings as wickets fell around him.

The UAE bowlers, led by Muhammad Arfan (2 for 39), exploited the pitch conditions cleverly, restricting Afghanistan’s ability to free their arms. Arfan’s dismissal of Zadran in the 14th over left Afghanistan vulnerable at a crucial juncture.

However, Omarzai found support in Darwish Rasooli as the pair stitched together a brisk 43-run partnership in just 4.2 overs to reignite the chase. Though Siddique returned to bowl Rasooli and briefly raised hopes of a late twist, UAE had too little to defend in the final over.

Earlier, UAE had battled back admirably after a shaky start. Reduced to 13 for 2 with Aryansh Sharma and Muhammed Waseem dismissed in successive overs — the former falling to Omarzai’s swing — they were rescued by Alishan Sharafu (40 off 31) and Sohaib Khan (68 off 38).

The duo added 84 runs, counterattacking effectively during the powerplay and targeting Afghanistan’s change bowlers. Ziaur Rahman endured a tough outing, conceding 43 runs without reward, while Noor Ahmed was taken for 35 in three wicketless overs.

Sharafu’s dismissal in the 12th over, followed by a double strike from Omarzai in the 15th — removing Syed Haider and Harshit Kaushik in the same over — stemmed UAE’s momentum. Omarzai’s variations and precision at the death proved decisive.

A milestone moment arrived in the 16th over when Rashid Khan claimed his 700th T20 wicket in fortuitous fashion. Muhammad Arfan, attempting an audacious scoop, lost his balance and crashed into his stumps, handing Rashid the landmark dismissal. The leg-spinner finished with tidy figures of 1 for 24, helping restrict UAE to 160 — a total that ultimately fell short.

Afghanistan’s victory keeps their campaign alive, though qualification for the Super Eights remains unlikely without favorable results elsewhere. On a challenging surface in Delhi, however, they showed resilience and nerve to stay in contention and register a long-awaited win.