Aryansh Sharma, Junaid Siddique Star as UAE Beat Canada by Five Wickets

The United Arab Emirates secured a crucial five-wicket victory over Canada in their Group D clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday. A dominant bowling display followed by a composed chase helped the UAE register an important win in the tournament.

After being put in to bat, Canada posted 150 for 7 in their 20 overs. Harsh Thaker led the scoring with a steady half-century, while Navneet Dhaliwal chipped in with a useful contribution at the top. However, the innings never truly gathered sustained momentum as UAE pacer Junaid Siddique delivered a match-defining spell. Siddique claimed five wickets, consistently breaking partnerships and preventing Canada from accelerating in the death overs.

Chasing 151, the UAE had a shaky start and found themselves under pressure after losing early wickets. The turning point came through a crucial partnership between Aryansh Sharma and Sohaib Khan. Sharma anchored the innings with a fluent unbeaten 74 off 53 deliveries, displaying calmness under pressure. Sohaib provided the impetus with a brisk 51 off just 29 balls, counterattacking when the team needed momentum.

The duo stitched together an 84-run stand that steadied the innings and shifted control firmly in UAE’s favour. Despite a few tense moments late in the chase, the UAE crossed the finish line with two balls to spare, sealing a morale-boosting win and strengthening their position in the group standings.