The United Arab Emirates (UAE) secured their place in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup with a decisive victory over Japan. In a qualifier match held in Oman, the UAE triumphed by eight wickets, denying Japan their chance to participate in a major tournament.
Match Breakdown
Japan set a target score of 116 runs after being restricted to 1169. The UAE chased this down swiftly, completing their innings in just 12.1 overs.
Key Players and Performance
- UAE’s bowling was spearheaded by spinner Haider Ali, who took 3 wickets for 20 runs.
- Japan’s Wataru Miyauchi scored an unbeaten 45 runs, helping Japan reach 116.
- For UAE, Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem opened the innings with a partnership of 70 runs.
Despite Sharafu and Waseem’s contributions of 46 and 42 runs, respectively, the UAE’s total was easily achieved.
Path to the World Cup
This victory allows the UAE to join Oman and Nepal, who also qualified from the Asia and East AsiaPacific region. The World Cup is scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February to March next year.
Qualification Overview
Several teams have already secured spots in the tournament:
- Hosts: India and Sri Lanka (automatic qualification)
- Teams qualifying from the Super 8 stage: England, Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, United States, and West Indies
- Rankbased qualifiers: Ireland, Pakistan, and New Zealand
- Regional qualifiers: Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
Japan’s journey to the World Cup qualifier included victories over Kuwait and Samoa. However, they needed to defeat the UAE and improve their net runrate to proceed.
The full tournament schedule is anticipated to be announced in the coming weeks. UAE’s triumph against Japan highlights their growing prominence in international cricket and sets stage for their participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup.