New Delhi, Feb 12 (NationPress) As Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) prepare to compete at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi this Friday afternoon, their objective is crystal clear: secure a victory. Both teams are currently languishing at the bottom of Group D, and a win would be crucial for improving their standings on the points table.

Canada, reeling from a significant 57-run defeat against South Africa, sits at the bottom with a net run rate of -2.850. In comparison, the UAE, despite putting up a commendable batting effort against New Zealand that saw them achieve their highest T20 World Cup score of 173, finds itself just above Canada at -2.763, following a 10-wicket loss.

The match against South Africa was a harsh introduction for Canada, revealing the vast gap between them and the Proteas. Their fast bowlers failed to take any wickets, with an economy rate of 11.1, while the spin department managed to salvage some pride, particularly left-arm wrist-spinner Ansh Patel, who shone with three wickets.

This three-wicket haul marked the first time a Canadian bowler has achieved such a feat in T20 World Cups and reflects his best performance in a budding international career. This may suggest that Canada could capitalize on the typically spin-friendly conditions in New Delhi.

With the bat, Navneet Dhaliwal scored a solitary 64 off 49 balls in a chase that never gained traction. As Canada's all-time leading run-scorer in World Cup history with 135 runs, he will need reliable support from the middle order to post or chase competitive totals.

On the other hand, the UAE's batting display against New Zealand exhibited both ambition and execution. The 107-run partnership between Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu was a highlight, with both players achieving fifties – a first for the UAE in T20 World Cup history.

However, these batting achievements were undermined by a lackluster bowling performance, with the Blackcaps' openers, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, ruthlessly attacking them. The UAE became only the third team in T20 World Cup history to bowl an entire innings without taking a wicket, as all bowlers, except Haider Ali, conceded over 10 runs per over.

To progress beyond the group stage, the UAE must avoid repeating such defensive lapses. Historically, the head-to-head record favors the UAE, who triumphed in their only prior T20I meeting with Canada. Neither team has played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium before, minimizing any advantage from local knowledge, though Canada has trained at the venue during the night.

Canada's mission is to halt the momentum of the UAE's aggressive top order while seeking to find the batting consistency they lacked against South Africa.

Meanwhile, the UAE is also coping with the withdrawal of Muhammad Zohaib from the squad for mental well-being and team welfare, with Haider Shah stepping in as a replacement. The bowling unit needs to show both discipline and effectiveness to earn their first points in Group D.

When: Friday, February 13, 3:00 PM IST

Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi

Where to watch: Star Sports Network for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming

Squads:

Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Ajayveer Hundal, Ansh Patel, Dilon Heyliger, Harsh Thaker, Jaskarandeep Singh, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Shreyas Movva, and Yuvraj Samra

UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Haider Shah, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, and Simranjeet Singh