UAE VS AFG - 1st T20I, Afghanistan tour of United Arab Emirates 2023-24

That's it from game 1 from here. We will be back with game 2 on Sunday (31st). Do join us then. Till then sleep tight and cuddle well. Bye for now.

Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan captain: This is my first time captaining Afghanistan. It's a double challenge for me, I'm trying to do well in the next games as well. We have a wonderful side in the T20 format. Fazalhaq, Azmat and we have good spinners. Unfortunately Rashid is not playing and we have a replacement in Qais and Noor as well. Mujeeb is not playing but we have good players. We will try to play positive cricket and don't need to think too much. We will try to come out to the ground with definite plans and a definite mentality. We will try to keep it simple. I always have a good partnership with Gurbaz. I was taking my time and I told him that one of us should go longer, till the 15th over. My role in the team is the anchor role and I went till the last over which was my plan.

Muhammad Waseem | UAE skipper: Congrats to Gurbaz, he played an outstanding knock and took the game away from us. We have good talent, you saw Tanish is playing good. Nothing went wrong, he played a very good knock. Ibrahim played very well, I thought we would restrict them to 140 but they took the game away from us.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Player of the Match: Feel really excited. Dreamt of a 100 in a T20I so excited. My plan was to give strike to Hazrat and whenever I got a loose ball, my plan was to be in as wicket was not easy. The crowd supports us everywhere, they support both teams and that is the amazing thing. Thanks to them and I hope they come for the next game. I have played good knocks but in T20s I can say this one is a special one.

21:21 Local Time, 17:21 GMT, 22:51 IST: What a convincing win this from Afghanistan. Once Muhammad Waseem got out early and with the seamers moving the ball all around, Aravind decided it was time for some practice. No intent or inclination to go after the target. From around the 8th over till the end, it was just about geting to bat the alloted quota of overs. Aravind as a result ended up with an unbeaten 70 and Tanish Suri on debut showed flashes of his potential with a 20. Afghanistan too took it easy and there were sloppy fumbles and throws not backed up in the field. But the result was never in doubt. Afghanistan go 1-0 up. Stay tuned for the post-match presentation...

Naveen-ul-Haq to Tanish Suri, 1 run, wide of the crease and seam-up short of length delivery on middle-stump, punched towards cover and that's the end of this one

Naveen-ul-Haq to Tanish Suri, no run, seam-up good length outside off, Tanish Suri leaning back tries to drive and misses

Naveen-ul-Haq to Aravind, 1 run, slower ball leg-cutter outside off, Aravind goes for a big drive, thick inside-edge is half-stopped by Gurbaz diving to his left

Naveen-ul-Haq to Aravind, no run, short of length just outside off, zippy stuff, Aravind slashes and misses

Naveen-ul-Haq to Tanish Suri, 1 run, another slower ball off-cutter outside off, Tanish Suri gets forward to drive, spoons it, but does not carry to cover

Naveen-ul-Haq to Tanish Suri, no run, slower ball off-cutter outside off, Tanish Suri drives and misses, the inside-edge is missed

Naveen-ul-Haq [3.0-0-22-1] is back into the attack

Azmatullah to Aravind, SIX, back of a length and on the stumps, Aravind pulls and sends the ball over the deep square leg fielder. Got hold of that really well. UAE's skipper Wasim claps

Azmatullah to Aravind, no run, short of length outside off, rising and Aravind is beaten on the cut

Azmatullah to Tanish Suri, 1 run, short on the stumps, Tanish Suri slashes and the thick top-edge doesn't carry to third man

Azmatullah to Tanish Suri, no run, short and Tanish Suri sways away to leave

Azmatullah to Aravind, 1 run, short of length just outside off, sliced down to third man

Azmatullah to Aravind, FOUR, nice shot. Full on off, Aravind goes deep in his crease, slices the loft over cover. Mid-off was up too

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aravind, 1 run, full and angling into off and middle, Aravind gets forward to drive to cover, retains the strike with that run

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Aravind, 2 runs, sloppy from Afghanistan. Dug in short outside off, ramped to Noor at third man, the throw to Gurbaz is fumbled and they come back for two