162/5 (19.2)
CR : 8.38
160/9 (20.0)
CR : 8.00
Afghanistan won by 5 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Azmatullah Omarzai
4/1540(21)
19.2
4
J Siddique to A Omarzai
FOURRR!!! DONE AND DUSTED!!! Omarzai has completed it for Afghanistan! He has played a gem here! Length ball outside off stump, sits up well, harmlessly, Omarzai cuts it hard over the covers fielder for a boundary. Afghanistan win by 5 wickets!
Over 20
Afghanistan 162/5
Azmatullah Omarzai40(21)
Mohammad Nabi3(3)
Junaid Siddique2-23(3.2)
AFG won by 5 wickets
2:34 PM IST, LOCAL TIME: What does cricket teach us about life? Never relax. Never assume. Because momentum… comes and goes like Delhi traffic. Afghanistan timed it perfectly. UAE set 160/9 in 20 overs. A fighting total. Not huge. Not tiny. Afghanistan chased 161. Reached 162/5 in 19.2 overs. Just 4 balls remaining. A match that kept everyone chewing nails till the penultimate over. The UAE had control in patches. Afghanistan kept knocking on the door. And like they say… pressure bursts pipes. Or in this case, bowling plans. The headline? Azmatullah Omarzai. Everywhere. With the ball. With the bat. With ice in the veins.
How did Afghanistan’s chase begin? Smooth sailing or early turbulence? Oh, proper turbulence. Seatbelts on. Gurbaz was gone for 0 on the very second delivery. The UAE were roaring. Fielders were buzzing like they’d had five espressos. Powerplay closed at 41/2. Advantage? Slightly UAE. Siddique was probing nicely. Dot balls were stacking up. But Ibrahim Zadran was playing the adult in the room. Calm. Watchful. Nudging singles. Afghanistan didn't panic. Because in chases, haste makes waste. And wickets. Required rate lurking like an unpaid bill.
Who handled the tricky middle overs? Ibrahim Zadran. Cool as a fridge. Anchoring. Absorbing pressure. His 53 off 41 was pure glue. Fifty off 37 balls. No fireworks. Just craftsmanship. But the UAE kept chipping away. Wickets falling prevented any comfort. Drinks arrived at 97/4. Game evenly poised. UAE sensing a squeeze. Afghanistan were calculating quietly. Like a chess match. Or a suspense movie. One wrong move… and boom.
The “hold-my-tea” moment? Right when Omarzai walked in and said, “Enough of this suspense.” Suddenly, the tempo changed. Clean hitting. Sharp running. Authority. 40 off 21 balls*. Strike rate soaring. Sixes clearing ropes like they had flight tickets. Rasooli’s 33 gave support, but Omarzai owned the finish. No nerves. No drama. Nabi quietly assisted. Fielders were chasing leather. Bowlers were searching for answers. Afghanistan cruised home. The UAE left wondering where it slipped. Cricket can be cruel. Like that.
Earlier, how did the UAE’s innings shape up? Promising. 55/2 after the Powerplay. Sharafu fluent. Sohaib Khan settled. Scoreboard ticking. Afghanistan were searching for rhythm. Then came the classic twist. Momentum shift. Omarzai with the ball. Suddenly runs dried. Wickets fell. Batters hesitated. The flow was disrupted. Like a song skipping beats. The UAE never quite regained that early swagger. Competitive? Yes. Dominant? Not quite.
Who stood tall for the UAE with the bat? No debate. Sohaib Khan - 68 off 48 balls. Grit. Class. Intent. Fifty off 37 balls. Sharafu’s 40 was handy. But partnerships never ballooned. Omarzai’s spell hurt them badly - 4 overs. 15 runs. 4 wickets. Economy 3.75. That’s not bowling. That’s burglary. Rashid Khan added control. Mujeeb applied pressure. 160/9 felt like a cake missing icing. Good. But not irresistible.
How did Afghanistan’s chase begin? Smooth sailing or early turbulence? Oh, proper turbulence. Seatbelts on. Gurbaz was gone for 0 on the very second delivery. The UAE were roaring. Fielders were buzzing like they’d had five espressos. Powerplay closed at 41/2. Advantage? Slightly UAE. Siddique was probing nicely. Dot balls were stacking up. But Ibrahim Zadran was playing the adult in the room. Calm. Watchful. Nudging singles. Afghanistan didn't panic. Because in chases, haste makes waste. And wickets. Required rate lurking like an unpaid bill.
Who handled the tricky middle overs? Ibrahim Zadran. Cool as a fridge. Anchoring. Absorbing pressure. His 53 off 41 was pure glue. Fifty off 37 balls. No fireworks. Just craftsmanship. But the UAE kept chipping away. Wickets falling prevented any comfort. Drinks arrived at 97/4. Game evenly poised. UAE sensing a squeeze. Afghanistan were calculating quietly. Like a chess match. Or a suspense movie. One wrong move… and boom.
The “hold-my-tea” moment? Right when Omarzai walked in and said, “Enough of this suspense.” Suddenly, the tempo changed. Clean hitting. Sharp running. Authority. 40 off 21 balls*. Strike rate soaring. Sixes clearing ropes like they had flight tickets. Rasooli’s 33 gave support, but Omarzai owned the finish. No nerves. No drama. Nabi quietly assisted. Fielders were chasing leather. Bowlers were searching for answers. Afghanistan cruised home. The UAE left wondering where it slipped. Cricket can be cruel. Like that.
Earlier, how did the UAE’s innings shape up? Promising. 55/2 after the Powerplay. Sharafu fluent. Sohaib Khan settled. Scoreboard ticking. Afghanistan were searching for rhythm. Then came the classic twist. Momentum shift. Omarzai with the ball. Suddenly runs dried. Wickets fell. Batters hesitated. The flow was disrupted. Like a song skipping beats. The UAE never quite regained that early swagger. Competitive? Yes. Dominant? Not quite.
Who stood tall for the UAE with the bat? No debate. Sohaib Khan - 68 off 48 balls. Grit. Class. Intent. Fifty off 37 balls. Sharafu’s 40 was handy. But partnerships never ballooned. Omarzai’s spell hurt them badly - 4 overs. 15 runs. 4 wickets. Economy 3.75. That’s not bowling. That’s burglary. Rashid Khan added control. Mujeeb applied pressure. 160/9 felt like a cake missing icing. Good. But not irresistible.
And with that, South Africa have qualified for the Super 8s!
Player of the Match: Azmatullah Omarzai
Azmatullah Omarzai (POTM): "(Plans with the ball) I am very happy for my performance. The wicket was a bit low at the start. I bowled in the hard length and then succeeded.
(Thoughts on the 11 minute first over) It was a funny first over. The first one did not carry the second one did. They bounced back and then we finished the innings well.
(Plans with the bat) When I went to bat, I saw that there were a lot of balls. I realised that we need to play straight and rotate the strike. I also said that to my partner. The odd boundary would come.
(Importance of getting points on the board) It was a good game for everyone the last time as well, we all worked very hard but unfortunately the result was not on our side. This time the result is on our side so yeah very happy for the team."
(Thoughts on the 11 minute first over) It was a funny first over. The first one did not carry the second one did. They bounced back and then we finished the innings well.
(Plans with the bat) When I went to bat, I saw that there were a lot of balls. I realised that we need to play straight and rotate the strike. I also said that to my partner. The odd boundary would come.
(Importance of getting points on the board) It was a good game for everyone the last time as well, we all worked very hard but unfortunately the result was not on our side. This time the result is on our side so yeah very happy for the team."
Muhammad Waseem (UAE Captain): (On the team’s effort and the narrow defeat) “To be honest, it was a very good game. The boys fought really well. From a batting point of view, I think we were short by about 10 to 15 runs. Looking at the bowling, we probably gave away two or three extra boundary balls, and that ended up costing us the game.
(On the challenging start with the bat) Yes, it was a tough start. We lost two or three wickets early, but after that, Sohaib and Alishan batted very well. They played excellent knocks. That’s why I feel we were just 10 to 15 runs short. Ali’s wicket also came at a crucial time, but at the end of the day, that’s part of the game.
(On the fight shown in the field) We kept trying to fight till the very last ball. We are always hungry for victory, and the boys showed great intent in the field. I thought it was an excellent fielding performance, and I’m very happy with the overall effort.
(On the final group game ahead) The next game will be a completely different challenge with different opposition. We will come back with a new plan, Inshallah, and look to show the world even more of our talent.”
(On the challenging start with the bat) Yes, it was a tough start. We lost two or three wickets early, but after that, Sohaib and Alishan batted very well. They played excellent knocks. That’s why I feel we were just 10 to 15 runs short. Ali’s wicket also came at a crucial time, but at the end of the day, that’s part of the game.
(On the fight shown in the field) We kept trying to fight till the very last ball. We are always hungry for victory, and the boys showed great intent in the field. I thought it was an excellent fielding performance, and I’m very happy with the overall effort.
(On the final group game ahead) The next game will be a completely different challenge with different opposition. We will come back with a new plan, Inshallah, and look to show the world even more of our talent.”
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan Captain): "(Importance of points on the board) Happy to get a win on the board. It is always to get points in a T20 World Cup. Let's hope for the best for the rest of the tournament.
(Assessment of the bowling) I think we bowled really well in the last 10 overs. In the first 10 overs we bowled here and there. It was good to restrict them to 160. The first 10 overs are something that we have been erring on against New Zealand and South Africa as well. That is something we really need to work on going ahead.
(On Gurbaz getting out early) Well, we all know how aggressive Gurbaz is. That's how he scores all his runs. Sometimes he will get out early but then yeah it is really important to have him score runs for us out in the middle. It always helps.
(Experience in the team) We have quite a good experience in the batting line up. Azmat has played a lot. Mohammad Nabi is the most experienced guy in the side. With the ball, I have bowled a lot and so had Mujeeb. So yes, we do have the experience in the side. However, to use that experience at the right time, it is very important. We try our best.
(Thoughts on the next game) Yes, we should finish the last game on a high note. Having said that, I still believe we can qualify. It is T20 cricket and New Zealand might just slip up to allow us. Regardless of the qualification, we would like to entertain and play a good brand of cricket for all those watching us."
(Assessment of the bowling) I think we bowled really well in the last 10 overs. In the first 10 overs we bowled here and there. It was good to restrict them to 160. The first 10 overs are something that we have been erring on against New Zealand and South Africa as well. That is something we really need to work on going ahead.
(On Gurbaz getting out early) Well, we all know how aggressive Gurbaz is. That's how he scores all his runs. Sometimes he will get out early but then yeah it is really important to have him score runs for us out in the middle. It always helps.
(Experience in the team) We have quite a good experience in the batting line up. Azmat has played a lot. Mohammad Nabi is the most experienced guy in the side. With the ball, I have bowled a lot and so had Mujeeb. So yes, we do have the experience in the side. However, to use that experience at the right time, it is very important. We try our best.
(Thoughts on the next game) Yes, we should finish the last game on a high note. Having said that, I still believe we can qualify. It is T20 cricket and New Zealand might just slip up to allow us. Regardless of the qualification, we would like to entertain and play a good brand of cricket for all those watching us."
Afghanistan held their nerve. The UAE fought bravely. But big games need big moments. Omarzai delivered them wholesale. Bat. Ball. Composure. Afghanistan paced the chase smartly. Never rushed. Never froze. The UAE had chances. But cricket waits for none. As it goes… you miss the bus, you miss the ride. Afghanistan didn’t miss. They accelerated. Closed it out.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator Manan Mehta, scorer Bishal Mandal, and statistician Aman. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But there are two more games scheduled in the T20 World Cup. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator Manan Mehta, scorer Bishal Mandal, and statistician Aman. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But there are two more games scheduled in the T20 World Cup. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!