The UAE couldn't have asked for a worse start, losing their captain inside the first three overs of the powerplay. But Sharma had other ideas. He took a liking to the bowling at the end of the powerplay, cracking two crisp fours and launching a six that finally gave the chase some life. Even then, it wasn't smooth sailing. Canada's spinners slowed things right down through the middle overs, tying the batters up and squeezing the scoring options. The required rate kept creeping up, past 11 after the halfway mark, and with two more wickets falling, the pressure was firmly back on the UAE. The game turned when Sohaib walked in. Canada had been in control for most of the night, but one over changed the mood completely. From the 17th over, Sohaib went after the bowlers, clearing the ropes twice and finding the boundary again to swing the momentum. Suddenly, belief was back for the UAE. What followed was a match-defining partnership, 84 runs off just 43 balls, as Sharma held things together while Sohaib played the aggressor role. Sohaib's 51 from 29 balls came at exactly the right time, while Sharma's unbeaten 74 off 53 was the backbone of the chase. That assault totally turned the game around. Canada got rattled and let the game slip away. For Canada, Zafar was exceptional with the ball, finishing with 3 for 14 from his four overs, but in the end it wasn't enough to stop the late charge.
A fine win for UAE while Canada will be very disappointed at this result.
Edited by missFiesty_69 - 9 hours ago
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