T20 World Cup, UAE vs Canada: Preview and stats
What's the story
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Canada are set to clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on Friday. The match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, starting from 3:00pm IST. Both teams suffered defeats in their respective tournament openers, making this encounter crucial for them to stay alive in the competition.
Team performance
UAE's ranking and Zohaib's exclusion
The UAE team, ranked 17th in T20Is, has been more exposed to high-quality opposition than Canada. They have played 11 matches against Full Members since the last T20 World Cup. However, their campaign was disrupted when top-order batter Muhammad Zohaib was sent home for "disciplinary reasons." The ICC cited "player mental well-being and team welfare issues" as the reason for his removal.
Match preview
Canada and UAE aim for a response
Canada, ranked 19th in T20Is, also suffered a heavy defeat against South Africa in their tournament opener. They conceded 213 runs for four wickets and managed to score only 156 runs in response. On the other hand, UAE got half-centuries from Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu against New Zealand, but conceded the target of 174 in 15.2 overs. Both sides need to improve on their bowling.
Likely XIs
Here are the probable XIs
UAE probable XI: Aryansh Sharma (wk), Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Harshit Kaushik, Mayank Kumar, Sohaib Khan, Muhammad Arfan, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid. Canada probable XI: Dilpreet Bajwa (captain), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel.
Information
Pitch and weather report
The weather in Delhi is pleasant with a maximum temperature of 24°C and low humidity expected on Friday. As far the surface here is concerned, the small dimensions will make things easier for batting. Bowlers need to be consistent and disciplined.
Stats
Player focus: Here are the stats
UAE's Waseem needs seven maximums to become the second batter - after Rohit Sharma - to hit 200 sixes in T20Is. Waseem has smoked 193 sixes in 94 T20I innings. Canada's Navneet Singh Dhaliwal has scored 1,261 runs from 46 T20Is at 33.18 with 10 fifties under his belt. UAE's Junaid Siddique has claimed 117 scalps in T20Is at 21.05.