New Delhi, Feb 13 (NationPress) With a stellar performance from Aryansh Sharma, who scored an unbeaten 74, and Sohaib Khan, who smashed 51 runs, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) achieved a thrilling five-wicket victory over Canada during their Group D encounter in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.

In the early stages, Junaid Siddique’s five-wicket haul confined Canada to a score of 150/7, setting the stage for a match that saw a dramatic shift in momentum. The pivotal moment came when Aryansh and Sohaib combined for an 84-run partnership that ultimately led to UAE's first win in the tournament.

Despite UAE facing a challenging 66/4 in their pursuit of 151 runs, Aryansh remained solid while Canada's spinners applied pressure during the middle overs. Sohaib's entry changed the dynamics of the game; he unleashed four sixes and four boundaries, contributing significantly to an 84-run partnership with Aryansh off just 42 balls.

Aryansh guided the chase with steady strokeplay, finishing with six fours and three sixes off 53 deliveries. Sohaib's aggressive batting unsettled Canada's bowlers as the match neared its conclusion.

Canada's standout bowler, Saad Bin Zafar, recorded impressive figures of 3-14, but his efforts could not thwart UAE’s late-game resurgence. This victory highlighted UAE's batting strength, showcasing emerging talents like Aryansh and Sohaib, alongside seasoned players like Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu, securing the win with just two balls to spare.

The UAE's chase began poorly with Waseem's dismissal, trapped in a pull shot that went to midwicket off Kaleem Sana. However, Aryansh displayed fluency, executing a back-foot punch through covers off Dilon Heyliger, and hitting a six over cow corner against Jaskaran Singh. He followed up with two boundaries in the fifth over.

Alishan Sharafu struggled initially and was dismissed after miscuing a drive off Zafar. Mayank Kumar joined Aryansh, but Zafar struck again, dismissing him to long-on. Harshit Kaushik briefly revived hopes with an edged boundary off Bajwa, but he too fell to Zafar.

At 66/4 in 12.3 overs, Canada seemed to be in control, but the game shifted when Sohaib entered. He quickly made his mark with a six over long-on off Ansh Patel and teamed up with Aryansh to launch a brilliant counter-attack.

Aryansh reached his fifty with a massive hit over long-on off Patel, while Sohaib cleared the ropes twice in Heyliger's 16th over, including a powerful straight shot. Suddenly, the required rate became manageable for the UAE.

In the 18th over, Sohaib hit Jaskaran for a four and a six, causing panic among Canada's bowlers. When Sana returned, UAE needed 26 runs off 12 balls. Aryansh found boundaries with powerful pulls and Sohaib capitalized on a beamer to score a free-hit four, eventually reaching his fifty with two runs through long-on.

The duo's audacious play brought UAE closer to victory, with the crowd sensing a remarkable finish that appeared unlikely just moments before. Although Sohaib was dismissed trying to loft a shot, Aryansh signaled their proximity to victory with a six, and Muhammad Arfan secured the winning single, marking a memorable triumph for UAE over Canada.

Earlier, Siddique excelled with his disciplined bowling, registering a five-wicket haul with the best figures for an Associate bowler in this tournament edition, while Muhammad Jawadullah supported him effectively with an economical 1-16.

UAE's tight bowling meant Canada lost both openers within the first four overs and fell to 39-3 by the end of the Powerplay. Thaker scored a brisk fifty off 41 balls, forming a 58-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Navneet Dhaliwal.

However, Dhaliwal’s run-out in the 13th over proved pivotal, and despite Thaker reaching his fifty, Canada struggled to score runs as UAE tightened their bowling lines, managing just 23 runs in the last three overs.

Siddique made an impact right away, dismissing Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa in his first over. In his next, he claimed Yuvraj Samra as well. Although Nicholas Kirton joined Dhaliwal, he too fell to Jawadullah, leaving Canada at 39/3 during the Powerplay.

The middle overs saw some recovery, with Dhaliwal and Thaker mixing caution and aggression. Thaker hit a six and a cut through point off Haider Ali, and both players shared a 58-run partnership off 47 balls.

Just as Dhaliwal seemed settled, disaster struck with a direct hit run-out from short fine leg in the 13th over, leaving him distraught.

Thaker managed to complete his fifty but was dismissed on the next ball after attempting to loft a slower ball from Siddique.

In the final over, Siddique dismissed Shreyas Movva and forced Saad Bin Zafar to pull a short ball to deep mid-wicket, celebrating his fifth wicket with a sajda.

Although Dilon Heyliger hit a six off the last ball, bringing Canada to 150, UAE chased it down comfortably, scoring 56 runs in the last four overs.

Summary: Canada 150/7 in 20 overs (Harsh Thaker 50, Navneet Dhaliwal 34; Junaid Siddique 5-35, Muhammad Jawadullah 1-16) lost to UAE 151/5 in 19.4 overs (Aryansh Sharma 74 not out, Sohaib Khan 51; Saad Bin Zafar 3-14, Kaleem Sana 1-29) by five wickets.