Afghanistan vs UAE is a crucial Match No. 28 in the 2026 T20 World Cup Group D, with both teams desperate for a win. The Afghans arrived wounded after losing two close games that slipped through their fingers, while the UAE still reels from a brutal 10-wicket hammering.
This high-stakes Afghanistan vs UAE live stream features a decisive game, leading to one team’s survival and the other’s early departure. As a result, the AFG vs UAE match carries weight, as neither side can afford another slip.
As the Afghanistan vs UAE cricket match builds tension, the Afghans bring proven match-winners, but lose their plot when it counts most in crunch moments. The history of AFG vs UAE T20 tilts toward Afghanistan, where they have won four out of five recent matches.
However, the UAE shocked them only 14 months ago with an 11-run upset. Afghanistan vs UAE T20 World Cup prediction points to an Afghan win, though UAE’s fearless qualifying run shows they thrive as underdogs. Tickets for Afghanistan vs UAE went fast as Delhi fans sensed a nail-biter in the morning.
Table of Contents
AFG vs UAE T20 World Cup Live Streaming, Tickets & All
- Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
- Date: February 18, 2026
- Time: 11:00 AM IST
- Tournament: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Group D
- Current Standings: Afghanistan 4th (0 points, -0.555 NRR), UAE 3rd (0 points, -1.03 NRR)
- Live Streaming: Jio Hotstar, Willow TV
- Tickets: BookMyShow
Team News
Afghanistan heavily relies on the spin quartet of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The pace attack looks led by Fazalhaq Farooqi along with Ziaur Rahman. Mohammad Nabi carries a finger niggle but confirmed his availability.
UAE reports no fresh injury worries heading into Delhi. Captain Muhammad Waseem declared full squad fitness after their opening loss exposed technical flaws. Alishan Sharafu returns to opening duties.
Probable Playing XIs
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Abdul Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma(wk), Mayank Kumar, Harshit Kaushik, Shoaib Khan, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawad Ullah
Pitch Report and Conditions
For an 11:00 AM start in February 2026, the Arun Jaitley Stadium pitch will behave differently than in typical evening matches because the dew factor is entirely absent, ensuring a dry outfield and a firmer surface throughout the first innings.
While evening games traditionally favor chasing due to moisture, a morning start offers more consistent bounce and carry early on, making it a “batter’s paradise” where power-hitters can exploit the short square (65m) and straight (68m) boundaries immediately.
As the sun bakes the black-soil surface, the pitch may gradually slow down and offer grip for spinners later in the day, but without the evening’s humidity, pacers will rely more on hitting the deck rather than finding significant reverse swing.
With average first-innings scores in recent T20s rising toward 171–173, and no threat of a wet ball, captains winning the toss might break from the “bowl first” evening trend and choose to bat first to capitalize on the best conditions before the track potentially becomes more sluggish in the second half.
Three Tactical Keys
- Spin Dominance: Afghanistan’s spin trio—Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi—must exploit the middle overs (7–15). This is critical as the UAE’s middle order has struggled significantly against high-quality spin, often collapsing when the pitch offers even marginal grip.
- Powerplay Aggression: A high-scoring start is essential; Rahmanullah Gurbaz enters this fixture in elite form, recently smashing 84 off 42 balls (200 SR) against South Africa. The team that crosses the 55-run mark in the first six overs will hold a massive tactical advantage on a dry morning surface.
- Death Overs Execution: While Afghanistan’s death bowling showed vulnerability by leaking late runs in their recent series against Zimbabwe, the return of Naveen-ul-Haq provides much-needed reliability. His signature yorkers and disguised slower balls are specifically designed to neutralize the UAE’s lower-order hitters in the final three overs.
Players to Watch
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG): The tournament’s standout opener, Gurbaz, recently smashed a blistering 84 off 42 balls (200 SR) against South Africa. He holds a career T20I strike rate of 135.78 and is the primary threat during the powerplay.
- Rashid Khan (AFG): The Afghan captain and leading T20I wicket-taker continues to lead with 19 wickets this season at an economy of 6.42. His ability to extract turn on a dry morning surface makes him the most dangerous bowler in the middle overs.
- Muhammad Waseem (UAE): The UAE captain is their most explosive batter, recently scoring 66 off 45 balls* against New Zealand. With a career T20I strike rate of 150.34, he is the only UAE batter capable of matching Afghanistan’s raw power.
- Junaid Siddique (UAE): Fresh off a historic 5/35 against Canada—the first five-wicket haul by a UAE bowler in T20 World Cup history—Siddique is the leader of the pace attack. He has claimed 122 T20I wickets at an impressive average of 20.48.
- Alishan Sharafu (UAE): Sharafu remains the anchor, with 392 runs in his last ten matches. His technical solidity against spin is vital for neutralizing Afghanistan’s tri-force of Rashid, Mujeeb, and Nabi.
Match Prediction
Afghanistan carries clear favorite status with their superior experience at World Cup level. Spin-friendly conditions create massive advantages over UAE’s inexperienced squad. The Afghans should post totals around 165-175 if their top order fires.
The predicted outcome sees Afghanistan winning by 25-30 runs after restricting UAE to 140-150. Rashid Khan likely claims three wickets while Mujeeb adds two more to strangle the middle order. Afghanistan moves off the bottom standings with this crucial victory keeping Super 8 hopes mathematically alive.
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