Canada and the United Arab Emirates meet in a must-win Group D showdown at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, both sides seeking their first points of the tournament. Canada enter the fixture after a heavy opening defeat to South Africa, while UAE aim to rebound following a dominant loss to New Zealand.
Match details
Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Date: Friday, February 13
Time: 3:00 PM IST, 5:30 AM PST, 9:30 AM GMT
Team overviews
Canada
Canada’s campaign began on a difficult note as they were convincingly beaten by South Africa in Ahmedabad, exposing gaps in both batting and bowling units. The Canadian side, competing in their second T20 World Cup, need a collective performance to remain in contention for a Super 8 slot.
United Arab Emirates
UAE’s opening game saw them suffer a heavy 10-wicket loss to New Zealand in Chennai, despite a competitive total. Their bowling unit struggled to contain top-class batting, and they will be hoping for a better all-round display against Canada to keep qualification hopes alive.
Key players
For Canada, top-order batters Navneet Dhaliwal and Nicholas Kirton are vital to providing a solid start, while Saad Bin Zafar’s spin will be crucial in the middle overs. Fast bowlers Kaleem Sana and Dilon Heyliger must strike early to put pressure on UAE’s batting.
UAE will look to captain Muhammad Waseem and Alishan Sharafu for batting leadership. Bowlers Junaid Siddique and Rohid Khan must provide disciplined lines, particularly against Canada’s aggressive hitters.
Head-to-head record
Canada and UAE have limited T20I history against each other, with neither side having established dominance at the global level before this World Cup. Both teams are fighting for breakthrough wins here.
Pitch report
The Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi traditionally offers a balanced surface with reasonable carry for batters but assistance for seamers early in the innings. Scores around 150-170 are competitive in T20s here, and both sides will assess conditions before deciding whether to bat or bowl first.
Probable playing XIs
Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Yuvraj Samra, Shreyas Movva (wk), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Kaleem Sana, Dilon Heyliger, Ansh Patel
UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Mayank Kumar, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Simranjeet Singh
Probable match scenarios
If Canada bat first, they will aim to post a challenging total with steady partnerships. Their spinners could be influential in choking UAE’s chase on slower balls.
Should UAE bat first, they need a significant contribution from their top order to set a defendable total, testing Canada’s pace attack under pressure.
Match prediction
Both teams are under pressure to win. UAE possess slightly more experience among their core batsmen and are marginal favourites, but Canada’s hunger and momentum in middle overs could tilt the contest. A close finish is likely, with UAE edging narrowly.
