The lights at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will host a high-stakes encounter in Group D. ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. On the one hand, we have Afghanistan The team is injured, desperate and looking for the first points of the tournament. On the other hand, sustainable UAE the team wants to build on its historic winning streak Canada and pose a serious challenge to the Super Eight.
Two years ago, Afghanistan were the favorites in the T20 world after their semi-final run. In 2026, the scenario became tougher. After a clinical defeat New Zealandthey played against what many called the “match of the century”. South Africaa double super super thriller that eventually saw them fail. Rashid Khan‘s men are currently winless and need to win every remaining game to keep their slim qualification hopes alive.
The UAE is moving at high speed. After losing their opening game to the Black Caps, they started a stunning chase against Canada. Aryansh Sharma (74) and Sohaib Khan (51) proved that the UAE batting line-up has the depth to handle the pressure. A win here will propel them into the real conversation for the next round.
AFG vs UAE, T20 World Cup 2026: Match details
- Date and Time: February 16 (Monday); 11:00 IST / 5:30 GMT
- Location: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
AFG vs UAE Head to Head Record (T20Is)
Matches played: 15 | Afghanistan won: 12 | UAE won: 3
Arun Jaitley Stadium Pitch Report
The Arun Jaitley Stadium pitch for this match is expected to be a traditional Delhi slow-burner, offering considerable grip and turn as the match progresses. Although the surface is relatively flat and allows for shots during Powerplay, it tends to stay low and makes life difficult for batsmen once the ball loses its luster. Both sides’ spinners are likely to dominate the middle innings, as evidenced by recent tournament trends, with spin accounting for a record percentage of wickets. As this is a morning game, the dew factor that often helps hunters under the lights will not be present and will result in a highly competitive score of around 155-165.
Groups
Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (c), Nur Ahmad, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Faruqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen Ul Haq, Muhammad Ishaq, Shahidullah Kamal, Muhammad Nabi, Gulbedin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, Simranjeet Singh.
AFG vs UAE, T20 World Cup 2026: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Afghanistan wins the toss first
- Afghanistan powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
- Afghanistan total score: 175-185
Case 2:
- UAE wins the toss first
- UAE powerplay score: 38-48 (6 overs)
- UAE total score: 135-145
Match Result: Afghanistan will win the competition.
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 in Match 28 of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The contest will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.){kind=link}