Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a career-defining all-round performance on Monday, leading Afghanistan to a five-wicket victory over the UAE at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium.
The win secures Afghanistan’s first points of the T20 World Cup after narrow opening losses to New Zealand and South Africa.
After taking 4 for 15 with the ball to restrict the UAE to 160/9, Omarzai smashed an unbeaten 40 off 21 balls (including three sixes) to finish the chase with four balls to spare.
Ibrahim Zadran anchored the innings with a solid 53, while Darwish Abdul Rasooli contributed a vital 33 to steady the ship after Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell for a duck in the opening over.
Sohaib Khan top-scored for the UAE with 68, but the team struggled against the discipline of Omarzai and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2/31).
The result keeps Afghanistan’s hopes alive in the group stage as they look to build momentum following this hard-fought result.
