In a thrilling Group D encounter at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday, the United Arab Emirates cricket team celebrated their maiden Twenty20 World Cup triumph with a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Canada. The match culminated in a dramatic final-over finish that saw UAE overcome early setbacks to chase down Canada’s target of 151 runs with just two deliveries remaining.
The victory was orchestrated by a spectacular 84-run partnership between wicketkeeper-batsman Aryansh Sharma, who remained unbeaten on 74, and Sohaib Khan, whose explosive 51 came from just 29 deliveries. Their middle-order resilience proved decisive after UAE found themselves struggling at 66-4 in the 13th over, thanks to Canadian left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar’s destructive spell that dismantled the top order.
Earlier in the match, Canada had posted a competitive 150-7 after electing to bat first. Harsh Thaker’s composed half-century (50) and Navneet Dhaliwal’s contribution of 34 formed the backbone of their innings. However, their efforts were overshadowed by UAE seamer Junaid Siddique’s magnificent bowling performance, claiming five wickets for 35 runs in his four-over spell.
The result has significant implications for Group D standings, propelling UAE past Afghanistan into third position behind tournament favorites New Zealand and South Africa, both maintaining perfect records with four points from two matches each.