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ICC T20 World Cup: In sports, the manner of defeat can sometimes hurt more than the defeat itself. Afghanistan discovered this cruel truth in Ahmedabad last week when what appeared to be a comfortable chase of 188 against South Africa disintegrated in the space of a few deliveries, and they lost the game they had in their grasp via a double Super Over.

Now, after thorough introspection in a four-day break, Afghanistan need a comprehensive victory in their Group D encounter against the UAE at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday morning to save themselves from an early exit from the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup.

The two teams have met 14 times in T20Is, with Afghanistan winning 11 games and the UAE emerging victorious in three matches. They have never previously met in an ICC T20 World Cup, making Monday's encounter their first meeting in the tournament's history. In their last five encounters, Afghanistan have a 4-1 edge over the UAE, something which should soothe the Rashid Khan-led side.