UAE clinch five-wicket victory over Canada in T20 World Cup thriller

NEW DELHI (Dunya News) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) secured a thrilling five-wicket win over Canada in the 20th group-stage match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

Half-centuries from Aryansh Sharma and Sohaib Khan guided the visitors to a successful chase of 151 runs.

Canada, having won the toss, elected to bat first but struggled against a disciplined UAE bowling attack. Senior pacer Junaid Siddique took a career-best five-wicket haul (5/35), with Muhammad Jawadullah also chipping in with a key wicket. Siddique claimed early scalps of captain Dilpreet Bajwa and opener Yuvraj Samra, reducing Canada to 17/2 inside the first four overs.

Harsh Thaker steadied the innings with a 50 off 41 balls, hitting two fours and three sixes, while Navneet Dhaliwal added 34 runs off 28 balls. Thaker and Dhaliwal stitched together a 58-run partnership before Siddique returned to remove Thaker in the 18th over. Shreyas Movva contributed 21 runs, but Canada's lower order failed to push the score beyond 150/7.

Chasing 151, UAE’s openers Aryansh Sharma and Sohaib Khan led from the front. Sharma remained unbeaten on 74, anchoring the innings, while Khan smashed 51 off just 29 balls, keeping the required run rate in check. Their partnership ensured that UAE reached the target in the final over with five wickets in hand.

Siddique’s brilliance with the ball set the tone for UAE’s victory. He combined pace, accuracy, and clever variations to dismantle Canada’s top order, leaving the visiting side unable to build consistent partnerships. Muhammad Jawadullah struck early by dismissing Nicholas Kirton for four, further applying pressure.

The UAE’s all-round performance, led by Siddique’s five-wicket haul and Sharma-Khan’s unbeaten partnership, kept them unbeaten in their group campaign and boosted their chances of advancing to the next stage of the tournament.