Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan expressed relief after his team’s first T20 World Cup win against the United Arab Emirates at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The victory came through a five-wicket triumph in a Group D clash. Seam-bowling all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai’s impressive performance of 4-15 helped restrict UAE to 160/9 before he guided Afghanistan to victory with an unbeaten 40 off 21 balls.
Rashid Khan highlighted the importance of the win and expressed hope for his team’s future in the competition. He acknowledged the team’s strong bowling in the last 10 overs but emphasized the need for improvement in the initial overs to maintain consistency. Rashid also praised Ibrahim Zadran’s aggressive batting approach despite the early dismissal of Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
The Afghanistan captain emphasized the significance of experienced players like Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the squad. He expressed optimism about progressing to the next stage of the competition and stressed the importance of playing with a positive mindset. Rashid mentioned the team’s commitment to showcasing a strong brand of cricket to make their nation proud.
Player of the Match, Azmatullah Omarzai, credited his success to a simple plan on a slightly moist pitch. He expressed satisfaction with his performance and highlighted the importance of playing straight and waiting for scoring opportunities. UAE captain Muhammad Waseem admitted his team fell short by 10-15 runs with the bat and praised the fighting spirit displayed by his players.
Waseem acknowledged the need to rectify mistakes in the upcoming game against South Africa and emphasized the team’s determination to showcase their talent on the field. He commended the team’s fielding efforts and expressed confidence in their ability to perform well in the next match.
