Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan has chosen to field first against the United Arab Emirates in a crucial Group D match of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The game will take place on the same pitch used for the Namibia-Netherlands clash last week.
Despite being semi-finalists in the 2024 edition, Afghanistan has yet to secure a win in this competition, having lost to New Zealand and South Africa. They hold an 11-3 win-loss record against the UAE.
Rashid mentioned that fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi is not in the playing eleven, with Ziaur Rahman Sharifi taking his place. He highlighted the favorable conditions for batting due to the softer wicket in the afternoon.
UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem informed that Muhammad Farooq and Mayank Kumar were replaced by Simranjeet Singh and Syed Haider in their playing eleven. Despite the team’s confidence, he acknowledged the challenge posed by a different game and opposition.
