T20 World Cup: Aryansh Sharma, Sohaib Khan power UAE to first win against Canada

NEW DELHI: Just when the match seemed to be slipping away from UAE’s grasp, two India-born batters scripted a stirring turnaround to power their side to a five wicket win over Canada in a Group D clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Friday.

Ghaziabad-born Aryansh Sharma and Gaya-born Sohaib Khan forged an 84-run partnership off just 42 balls, rescuing UAE and steering them home in a chase of 151 with two balls to spare. UAE’s chase had been wobbling at 66/4 in 12.3 overs when the two walked out to the middle.



Canada’s bowlers, led by Gujranwala-born left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar, had tightened the screws, exploiting the slow surface to force errors. Sohaib brought the momentum first.

Having begun his cricketing journey at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, where he represented the university from 2014 to 2019 and played consecutive North Zone tournaments in 2017 and 2018, the right-hander played with fearless intent. He took on the bowlers from the outset, piercing gaps and clearing the ropes with ease.

His 51 off 29 balls, studded with four fours and four sixes, shifted the tempo. There was an urgency in his strokeplay. If UAE had been tentative before his arrival, they looked transformed as Sohaib took the Canadian bowlers to the cleaners.

“The situation was quite tense when I came out to bat as we needed more than 12 runs per over. These kinds of situations, where one has to score more than 13-14 runs per over, are common in tennis-ball cricket and I’ve played those a lot,” Sohaib said.

At the other end, Aryansh provided the calm. He remained unbeaten on 74 off 53 deliveries. His knock, laced with six fours and three sixes, was a study in controlled aggression. Where Sohaib attacked in bursts, Aryansh anchored the chase, ensuring UAE never lost sight of the target.

Brief scores: Canada 150/7 (Thaker 50, Dhaliwal 34, Siddique 5-35) lost to UAE 154/5 (Aryansh 74*, Sohaib 51, Zafar 3-14) by 5 wkts.


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