UAE and Afghanistan will chase their first win of the Sharjah tri-series on Monday as the tournament moves toward the business end. With Pakistan accounting for both teams in their opening games, a victory today would keep UAE and Afghanistan in contention for a place in the final, as each side eyes a crucial double-round robin where every team faces the others twice before the summit clash.
In the tournament opener, Pakistan posted a 200-plus total after Salman Ali Agha delivered an unbeaten fifty, pushing the score past the 180-mark against Afghanistan. Afghanistan fought back with a commendable bowling effort but fell short by 39 runs in the chase. The second match saw Pakistan’s strength with the bat again, as Hasan Nawaz and Saim Ayub struck another pair of fifties to help Pakistan reach 200-plus; UAE responded with 176/8, helped by Asif Khan’s 77, but could not pull off the chase.
Going into Monday, both UAE and Afghanistan will be looking to sharpen their batting as a unit. UAE’s bowling has shown promise, having taken all 10 Pakistan wickets in their previous game, with Junaid Siddique and Saghir Khan sharing three wickets apiece. Afghanistan, meanwhile, will still rely on a bowling group led by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, but their early displays suggested they need more grip to trouble the formidable Pakistan batters.
UAE vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I details
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Time: 8:30 PM IST
Date: September 1
Head-to-head in T20Is
Afghanistan have faced UAE 13 times, winning 10 and losing 3. The teams first met in 2010, with their most recent clash coming last January.
Predicted playing XIs
United Arab Emirates: Muhammad Zohaib, Muhammad Waseem (captain), Asif Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra (wk), Ethan DSouza, Dhruv Parashar, Saghir Khan, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik
Broadcast note
In India, there is currently no television channel that has bagged the rights to televise the UAE vs Afghanistan tri-series matchups.
What to watch
– UAE will look to its bowlers, led by Siddique and Saghir Khan, to build pressure and back up a batting lineup that showed form in earlier games.
– Afghanistan will pin hopes on Rashid Khan and Nabi to weave through UAE’s batting and set up a chase that their lineup can manage, while trying to improve on their earlier bowling displays.
– Sharjah’s batting-friendly conditions could produce another high-scoring affair, so both sides will aim to post a competitive total and then defend it with disciplined bowling.
Summary
With both UAE and Afghanistan eager to register their first win and stay alive in the race for the final, Monday’s clash in Sharjah is a key fixture in the tri-series. The match offers a chance for both sides to balance improving batting with tighter bowling, while also providing a platform to set up a late surge toward the title.
Optional extra notes
– The tri-series format means momentum is crucial; a strong performance can shift confidence for the remaining games.
– For fans, the absence of Indian broadcast rights means streaming options may be the primary way to follow the action, so check local availability and official platforms.