The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 delivered another exciting contest as the United Arab Emirates defeated Canada by 5 wickets with just 2 balls remaining in Match 20 at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on February 13. Canada posted 150/7 in their 20 overs. UAE chased down the target successfully and finished at 154/5 in 19.4 overs.
Harsh Thaker anchored Canada’s innings with 50 runs off 41 balls. Aryansh Sharma was the star for UAE with an unbeaten 74 runs off 53 balls. Saad Bin Zafar impressed with both bat and ball. His 3 wickets almost defended the total, but Sharma’s brilliance saw UAE home.
Match Summary: CAN vs UAE
Here is the complete match summary of this Group D encounter:
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Canada Score | 150/7 (20 overs) |
| UAE Score | 154/5 (19.4 overs) |
| Match Result | UAE won by 5 wickets (with 2 balls remaining) |
| Best Batting (CAN) | Harsh Thaker – 50 off 41 balls (2 fours, 3 sixes) |
| Best Batting (UAE) | Aryansh Sharma – 74 not out off 53 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes) |
| Best Bowling (CAN) | Saad Bin Zafar – 3/14 in 4 overs (Econ: 3.50) |
| Best Bowling (UAE) | Junaid Siddique – 5/35 in 4 overs (Econ: 8.75) |
| Player of the Match | Aryansh Sharma (UAE) |
Canada won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision looked questionable as they lost early wickets. However, some middle-order resistance helped them post a competitive total on the board.
Canada Innings: 150/7 in 20 Overs
Canada’s start was poor. Yuvraj Samra fell early for just 5 runs when Alishan Sharafu caught him off Junaid Siddique. Captain Dilpreet Bajwa scored 11 runs off 11 balls before Muhammad Waseem caught him off Junaid Siddique. Navneet Dhaliwal tried to rebuild with 34 runs off 28 balls. He hit 4 fours before Muhammad Arfan ran him out.
Nicholas Kirton managed only 4 runs before he was caught by Muhammad Jawadullah off Muhammad Waseem. Harsh Thaker then steadied the innings with a crucial 50 off 41 balls. He hit 2 fours and 3 sixes. His partnership with Navneet Dhaliwal added 50 runs. Canada reached 50 runs in 6.5 overs and crossed 100 runs in 13.6 overs.
Shreyas Movva contributed 21 runs off 21 balls before Alishan Sharafu caught him off Junaid Siddique. Jaskaran Singh and Dilon Heyliger both remained unbeaten. Singh scored 4 runs off 4 balls while Heyliger added 6 runs off just 1 ball with a six. Saad Bin Zafar managed 5 runs off 3 balls. Canada finished at 150/7 in their 20 overs.
Junaid Siddique was the star bowler for UAE. He picked up 5 wickets for 35 runs in his 4 overs. His wickets came at crucial moments. Muhammad Jawadullah grabbed 1 wicket for 16 runs. Haider Ali bowled economically with 0 wickets for 29 runs. Muhammad Arfan took 0 wickets but ran out Dhaliwal.
UAE Chase: 154/5 in 19.4 Overs
UAE’s chase got off to a shaky start despite scoring 39 runs in the powerplay with only 1 wicket down. Muhammad Waseem fell early for 4 runs when Navneet Dhaliwal caught him off Kaleem Sana. Alishan Sharafu scored just 5 runs off 13 balls before Nicholas Kirton caught him off Saad Bin Zafar.
Aryansh Sharma started building the chase carefully. He reached his fifty in just 41 balls. Mayank Kumar added 4 runs off 6 balls before Kaleem Sana caught him off Saad Bin Zafar. Harshit Kaushik managed 5 runs off 9 balls with 1 four before Nicholas Kirton caught him off Saad Bin Zafar. UAE were 39/1 in 6 overs and reached 50 runs in 8.6 overs.
Sohaib Khan then joined Sharma at the crease. The pair put together a crucial partnership. Khan played aggressively and scored 51 runs off just 29 balls. He hit 4 fours and 4 sixes. His partnership with Sharma was worth 50 runs and came in just 28 balls. This took UAE past 100 runs in 16.1 overs and then to 150 runs in 19.2 overs.
Nicholas Kirton caught Khan off Jaskaran Singh when he was on 51. Muhammad Arfan came in and remained unbeaten on 4 runs off 1 ball. Sharma remained not out on 74 runs off 53 balls. He hit 6 fours and 3 sixes. His innings included partnerships of 41 balls for the fifty with Sharma and 28 balls for another fifty with Khan.
UAE reached the target of 151 runs in 19.4 overs with 5 wickets down and 2 balls to spare. Saad Bin Zafar was the best bowler for Canada with 3 wickets for 14 runs in 4 overs. His economy rate was just 3.50. Kaleem Sana took 1 wicket for 29 runs. Jaskaran Singh picked up 1 wicket for 48 runs. Dilon Heyliger conceded 33 runs without taking a wicket.
Key Highlight: Player of the Match – Aryansh Sharma Shines
The UAE opener delivered a match-winning performance:
With the bat: 74 not out off 53 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes)
Strike rate: 139.62
Sharma came in to bat as an opener and remained at the crease throughout the innings. He watched partners come and go at the other end. When Waseem fell early, he anchored the innings. When wickets fell in the middle overs, he kept the scoreboard moving.
His fifty came in 41 balls. He then accelerated in the final overs. His partnerships were crucial. He added runs with every partner. His 50-run stand with Sohaib Khan in just 28 balls changed the game. He remained calm under pressure and guided UAE to victory.
This victory keeps UAE’s campaign alive in Group D. Canada will be disappointed after posting a competitive total. The match showed that T20 cricket can change quickly. One good partnership can turn the game around.
