Afghanistan National Cricket Team Vs United Arab Emirates National Cricket Team Standings

The rivalry between the Afghanistan National Cricket Team and the United Arab Emirates National Cricket Team is a compelling story of regional competition and rising cricketing ambitions, where Afghanistan has rapidly established itself as a strong international side with world class players and consistent performances while the United Arab Emirates continues to develop as a competitive associate team with growing potential, and the standings between these two teams clearly reflect Afghanistan’s dominance but also highlight UAE’s determination to close the gap.

Latest Matches

Tournament	Venue	Date	Afghanistan Score	United Arab Emirates Score	Result	Series
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026	Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi	Feb 16, 2026	162/5 (19.2 overs)	160/9 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 5 wkts	ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
United Arab Emirates T20I Tri-Series 2025	Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah	Sep 5, 2025	170/4 (20 overs)	166/5 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 4 runs	United Arab Emirates T20I Tri-Series 2025
United Arab Emirates T20I Tri-Series 2025	Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah	Sep 1, 2025	188/4 (20 overs)	150/8 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 38 runs	United Arab Emirates T20I Tri-Series 2025
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2023/24	Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah	Jan 2, 2024	128/6 (18.3 overs)	126/9 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 4 wkts	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2023/24	Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah	Dec 31, 2023	155 (19.5 overs)	166/7 (20 overs)	United Arab Emirates won by 11 runs	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2023/24	Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah	Dec 29, 2023	203/3 (20 overs)	131/4 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 72 runs	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2022/23	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi	Feb 19, 2023	166/4 (19.1 overs)	163/6 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 6 wkts	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2022/23	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi	Feb 18, 2023	137/6 (20 overs)	138/1 (18.2 overs)	United Arab Emirates won by 9 wkts	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2022/23	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi	Feb 16, 2023	146/5 (19.1 overs)	142/5 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 5 wkts	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Desert T20 Challenge 2016-17	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi	Jan 15, 2017	147/5 (18.5 overs)	146/7 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 5 wkts	Desert T20 Challenge
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2016/17	ICC Academy, Dubai	Dec 17, 2016	189/5 (20 overs)	145/8 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 44 runs	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2016/17	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai	Dec 16, 2016	183/5 (19.4 overs)	179/4 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 5 wkts	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates T20I Series 2016/17	ICC Academy, Dubai	Dec 14, 2016	161/6 (20 overs)	150/7 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 11 runs	Afghanistan in UAE T20I Series
Asia Cup 2015-16	Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Fatullah	Feb 18, 2016	160 (19.5 overs)	176/4 (20 overs)	United Arab Emirates won by 16 runs	Asia Cup 2015-16
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2015	Grange Cricket Club, Edinburgh	Jul 10, 2015	168/2 (17.2 overs)	164/6 (20 overs)	Afghanistan won by 8 wkts	ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier

Current Squad Comparison

Role	Afghanistan National Team	United Arab Emirates National Team	Edge Goes To
Captain	Rashid Khan	Muhammad Waseem	Afghanistan
Vice-Captain	Ibrahim Zadran	–	Afghanistan
Wicket-Keepers	Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Ishaq	Aryansh Sharma	Afghanistan
Top-Order Batsmen	Ibrahim Zadran (VC), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli	Muhammad Waseem (C), Alishan Sharafu, Mayank Kumar	Afghanistan
Middle-Order	Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Shahidullah Kamal	Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Dhruv Parashar	Afghanistan
Spin Bowlers	Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman	Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Arfan	Afghanistan (Massive)
Fast Bowlers	Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai	Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah, Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh	Afghanistan
All-Rounders	Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib	Harshit Kaushik, Dhruv Parashar	Afghanistan
Squad Strength	World-class spin + explosive batting depth	Solid top order but lacks depth in spin attack	Afghanistan

Top Players Comparison

Player	Team	Role	Key Strength	Recent Impact (2025-26)	Head-to-Head Edge
Rashid Khan	AFG	Leg-Spin (Captain)	Googly & control under pressure	700th T20 wicket milestone vs UAE	Dominant
Ibrahim Zadran	AFG	Opener / VC	Consistent anchoring + big hits	Multiple 50+ scores in recent series	Strong
Rahmanullah Gurbaz	AFG	WK-Batsman	Aggressive power-hitting	Explosive starts in T20 World Cup	Strong
Azmatullah Omarzai	AFG	All-Rounder	Seam bowling + finishing	4-wicket hauls & quick runs	Dominant
Mohammad Nabi	AFG	All-Rounder	Experience + off-spin	Middle-order stability	Solid
Muhammad Waseem	UAE	Opener (Captain)	Power-hitting & leadership	Consistent top scorer for UAE	Best for UAE
Alishan Sharafu	UAE	Opener	Aggressive strokeplay	Reliable starts in recent T20Is	Good
Junaid Siddique	UAE	All-Rounder	Medium pace + lower-order batting	Handy contributions	Average

Playing XI Comparison

Position	Afghanistan Probable Playing XI	United Arab Emirates Probable Playing XI	Advantage
1. Opener	Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)	Muhammad Waseem (C)	Afghanistan
2. Opener	Ibrahim Zadran (VC)	Alishan Sharafu	Afghanistan
3. No. 3	Sediqullah Atal	Mayank Kumar	Afghanistan
4. No. 4	Darwish Rasooli / Azmatullah Omarzai	Haider Ali	Afghanistan
5. No. 5	Azmatullah Omarzai / Mohammad Nabi	Harshit Kaushik	Afghanistan
6. All-Rounder	Gulbadin Naib / Mohammad Nabi	Dhruv Parashar	Afghanistan
7. All-Rounder	–	–	–
8. Spinner	Rashid Khan (C)	Muhammad Farooq	Afghanistan
9. Spinner	Noor Ahmad / Mujeeb Ur Rahman	Muhammad Arfan	Afghanistan
10. Pacer	Naveen-ul-Haq	Junaid Siddique	Afghanistan
11. Pacer	Fazalhaq Farooqi	Muhammad Jawadullah / Rohid Khan	Afghanistan

Head to Head Standings Overview

The head to head standings between Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates show a clear advantage for Afghanistan due to its rapid rise and consistent success in international cricket, while UAE has had several opportunities to compete and has delivered competitive performances in certain matches, making the rivalry meaningful despite the difference in results.

Format	Matches Played	Afghanistan Wins	UAE Wins	No Result
ODIs	10 plus	Strong lead	Few	Rare
T20Is	10 plus	Leading	Competitive	Few
Overall	25 plus	Dominant	Limited	Few
Recent	Last 10	Afghanistan edge	Competitive	Few
Trend	Stable	Improving	Competitive	Growing

ICC Rankings and Growth Journey

The International Cricket Council rankings highlight Afghanistan as a rising force in international cricket, especially in T20 formats where they rank among strong teams, while UAE continues to work its way up the rankings through qualifiers and regional tournaments, making the standings comparison a reflection of rapid success versus steady development.

Format	Afghanistan Rank	UAE Rank	Afghanistan Strength	UAE Strength	Trend
Tests	Emerging	Not active	Growth	Development	Stable
ODIs	Competitive	Developing	Spin attack	Batting effort	Rising
T20Is	Strong	Improving	Aggression	Potential	Upward
Overall	Rising	Emerging	Talent	Expansion	Positive
Future	Strong	Growing	Experience	Progress	Upward

Match History and Competitive Moments

The match history between Afghanistan and UAE reflects Afghanistan’s dominance but also includes competitive moments where UAE has pushed Afghanistan in close matches, especially in regional tournaments and qualifiers, showing that the rivalry has depth beyond just standings.

Year	Match Type	Winner	Margin	Key Highlight
2023	T20	Afghanistan	Comfortable	Strong bowling
2022	ODI	Afghanistan	Close	Tight finish
2021	T20	Afghanistan	Dominant	Batting power
2020	T20	UAE	Upset	Surprise win
Overall	Mixed	Afghanistan	Strong lead	Competitive

Key Players Driving the Rivalry

Player performances have played a major role in shaping standings between these teams, with Afghanistan relying on world class players, especially in spin bowling, while UAE depends on emerging talents and experienced players to compete and improve at the international level.

Team	Batsman	Bowler	All Rounder	X Factor Player
Afghanistan	Rahmanullah Gurbaz	Rashid Khan	Mohammad Nabi	Ibrahim Zadran
UAE	Muhammad Waseem	Junaid Siddique	Rohan Mustafa	Vriitya Aravind
Afghanistan	Hashmatullah Shahidi	Fazalhaq Farooqi	Azmatullah Omarzai	Mujeeb Ur Rahman
UAE	Chirag Suri	Zahoor Khan	Basil Hameed	Alishan Sharafu
Combined	Match winners	Strike bowlers	Game changers	Impact players

Performance in ICC and Regional Tournaments

ICC and regional tournaments have played a key role in defining the standings between Afghanistan and UAE, where Afghanistan has consistently performed well and qualified for major tournaments while UAE continues to compete in qualifiers and regional competitions to strengthen its position.

Tournament	Afghanistan Record	UAE Record	Best Afghanistan Result	Best UAE Result
T20 World Cup	Strong	Occasional	Super stages	Qualification
ODI World Cup	Qualified	Rare	Group stage	Qualification
Asia Cup	Competitive	Limited	Strong performances	Participation
Qualifiers	Successful	Frequent	Consistent qualification	Competitive
Overall ICC	Rising	Developing	Growing success	Improving

Conditions and Venue Impact

Conditions play an important role in shaping standings between Afghanistan and UAE, with Afghanistan excelling in spin friendly conditions while UAE performs better in familiar subcontinent and desert conditions, making venue a key factor in determining match outcomes.

Venue Type	Afghanistan Wins	UAE Wins	Advantage Team	Key Condition	Impact Level
Asia	High	Moderate	Afghanistan	Spin	High
UAE	Strong	Competitive	Afghanistan	Familiar pitch	High
Neutral	Balanced	Competitive	Afghanistan	Mixed	Medium
ICC Events	Strong	Limited	Afghanistan	Experience	High
Overall	Dominant	Improving	Afghanistan	Adaptability	High

Future Outlook of the Rivalry

The future standings between Afghanistan and UAE are expected to remain in Afghanistan’s favor in the short term due to its stronger squad and international experience, while UAE continues to develop its cricketing structure and talent pool, aiming to become more competitive and challenge stronger teams in the coming years.

Factor	Afghanistan Advantage	UAE Advantage	Overall Impact	Future Trend	Competition Level
Experience	Very high	Moderate	Strong	Stable	Medium
Squad Depth	Strong	Developing	Key	Growing	Medium
Skill Level	Elite	Emerging	Decisive	Stable	Medium
Growth Potential	High	Very high	Long term	Rising	Increasing
Global Exposure	High	Improving	Important	Upward	Growing

Conclusion

The standings between Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates highlight a rivalry shaped by growth and ambition, where Afghanistan has established itself as a dominant and rising cricketing nation while UAE continues its journey of development and improvement, and although the gap remains clear, the future promises more competitive encounters as UAE strengthens its presence in international cricket.

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