Afghanistan secured their first victory of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a hard-fought 5-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on February 16, 2026. In a match that swung back and forth, the Afghan side displayed superior composure during the final overs to chase down a target of 161 runs. The result was historic for more than just the standings, as captain Rashid Khan became the first player in history to reach 700 wickets in T20 cricket.
The day began with Rashid Khan winning the toss and electing to field first, hoping to take advantage of any early assistance for his seamers. The decision proved fruitful almost immediately. Azmatullah Omarzai struck in the very first over, dismissing Aryansh Sharma for a 0-run duck. Shortly after, the UAE captain Muhammad Waseem fell for just 10 runs to the bowling of Fazalhaq Farooqi, leaving the UAE reeling at 13/2 within the first two overs.
Despite the early setbacks, the UAE staged a remarkable recovery through a brilliant 84-run partnership for the third wicket. Sohaib Khan played the innings of the morning, smashing a superb 68 runs off 48 balls, including six boundaries and four sixes. He found an able partner in Alishan Sharafu, who contributed a brisk 40 runs off 31 balls. Their aggressive approach momentarily shifted the pressure back onto the Afghan spinners, as they reached 97/2 by the 11th over.
However, the introduction of Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/31) broke the stand when he dismissed Alishan Sharafu. This triggered a middle-order collapse that prevented the UAE from reaching a truly massive total. Azmatullah Omarzai returned to the attack and produced a devastating spell of death bowling. He finished with career-best figures of 4 wickets for 15 runs, removing dangerous hitters like Syed Haider (13) and Harshit Kaushik (0).
The milestone moment of the match arrived in the 16th over when Rashid Khan dismissed Muhammad Arfan for 0 runs. The wicket marked his 700th dismissal in the shortest format of the game, an unprecedented achievement that drew a standing ovation from the Delhi crowd. Rashid Khan finished with economical figures of 1 wicket for 24 runs. A late cameo of 13 runs from Haider Ali eventually pushed the UAE total to 160/9 after their 20 overs.
Afghanistan’s chase started on a shaky note as they lost their star opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a 0-run duck to the bowling of Junaid Siddique (2/23). With the score at 0/1, the pressure was on Ibrahim Zadran to anchor the innings. Ibrahim Zadran played a matured and calculated knock, scoring 53 runs off 41 balls. He hit six boundaries and one six, ensuring that Afghanistan stayed within touching distance of the required run rate despite losing Gulbadin Naib (13) and Sediqullah Atal (16) at the other end.
When Ibrahim Zadran was eventually dismissed by Muhammad Arfan (2/30) in the 14th over, Afghanistan still required over 60 runs from the final six overs. This set the stage for Azmatullah Omarzai to complete a legendary all-round performance. Joining Darwish Rasooli at the crease, Azmatullah Omarzai took the attack to the UAE bowlers. He played with a blend of brute force and clinical timing, hitting the gaps with precision.
Darwish Rasooli played a vital supporting role, scoring 33 runs off 23 balls with four boundaries. Their 43-run partnership for the fifth wicket brought Afghanistan to the brink of victory. Although Darwish Rasooli was bowled by Junaid Siddique in the 18th over, the damage had already been done. Azmatullah Omarzai remained unbeaten on 40 runs off 21 balls, smashing three massive sixes to seal the game.
The winning runs came in the final over as Azmatullah Omarzai thumped a boundary over mid-wicket, guiding Afghanistan to 162/5 with four balls to spare. Mohammad Nabi remained at the other end with 3 runs. The victory was a massive relief for the Afghan camp after two consecutive losses, and it kept their mathematical hopes of reaching the Super 8s alive.
Azmatullah Omarzai was the unanimous choice for Player of the Match for his extraordinary contribution of 4 wickets for 15 runs and an unbeaten 40* runs. At the post-match presentation, Rashid Khan expressed his pride in reaching the 700-wicket landmark but emphasized that the team's victory was more important. For the UAE, the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow after having Afghanistan under pressure for most of the match. They will now look to regroup before their final group-stage fixture.