All-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai starred with both ball and bat as Afghanistan secured a crucial five-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates in their must-win T20 World Cup Group D encounter on Monday.
The victory put Afghanistan on the board in the tournament and kept their slim Super Eight hopes alive. It also sealed South Africa’s progression to the next round at the top of the table with six points, with New Zealand second and Afghanistan third. UAE remained fourth.
Omarzai set up the triumph with a superb spell of 4 for 15 from his four overs, restricting UAE to 160 for 9. The total was largely built around Sohaib Khan’s fluent 68 off 48 balls.
Afghanistan’s chase began shakily, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz dismissed for a duck and Gulbadin Naib falling for 13, leaving the side at 41 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay.
Ibrahim Zadran then steadied the innings with a composed 53 off 41 deliveries, striking six fours and a six to anchor the pursuit. After his departure, Darwish Rasooli (33) joined forces with Omarzai to guide Afghanistan to 162 for 5 in 19.2 overs.
The contest tightened briefly when Zadran holed out to Muhammad Waseem off Muhammad Arfan, who had earlier produced a fine delivery to dismiss Sediqullah Atal.
With 61 needed from 36 balls, Rasooli counterattacked, hitting two boundaries and a six during a 43-run partnership off 26 deliveries with Omarzai before Junaid Siddique bowled him.
Requiring 17 runs from the final two overs, Omarzai accelerated, launching Muhammad Jawadullah for a six before an inside edge ran away to the boundary, leaving just four to get in the last over. Afghanistan completed the task comfortably.
Earlier, Sohaib revived UAE’s innings with a 57-ball, 84-run stand for the third wicket alongside Alishan Sharafu (40 off 29) after early setbacks.
Afghanistan, however, regained control in the middle overs, reducing UAE to 121 for 6 in the 16th over.
Sohaib added 31 runs with Haider Ali before Omarzai returned in the 19th over to claim his fourth wicket by dismissing the set batter.
Omarzai had made early inroads, removing Aryansh Sharma for a four-ball duck.
UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem struck two boundaries in his 10 before being trapped lbw by Mujeeb Ur Rahman as the side slipped to 13 for 2.
During the Powerplay, UAE’s batters handled the Afghan spinners confidently, punishing loose deliveries. Sharafu struck two boundaries off Mujeeb as the score advanced to 55 for 2, and later cleared Rashid Khan for a six to raise the half-century stand.
Ziaur Rahman, brought in for left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, and spinner Noor Ahmad proved costly. Rahman conceded 16 runs in his opening over, with Sohaib finding the boundary three times. Noor also endured a difficult spell, conceding two sixes from Sohaib as UAE moved to 93 for 2 after 10 overs.
Mujeeb eventually provided the breakthrough when Sharafu holed out to Ibrahim Zadran at long-off. Omarzai then struck twice in his third over, dismissing Syed Haider (13) and inducing an edge from Harshit Kaushik (0).
Sohaib reached his half-century off 37 balls with a six, but Muhammad Arfan fell for a duck attempting a reverse hit. Omarzai returned once more in the 19th over to end Sohaib’s resistance and complete a memorable all-round performance.
