The UAE moved a step closer to securing a berth at next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after a commanding 77-run win over Samoa in the Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Muscat on Wednesday.
The result not only kept the UAE’s hopes alive but also confirmed Nepal and Oman’s progression to the 2026 tournament, irrespective of the outcome of their remaining Super Six fixture.
The Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier, held at the Oman Cricket Academy, offers three qualification spots for the T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February. For the UAE, which had suffered back-to-back defeats to Nepal and Oman earlier in the Super Six stage, the equation was simple – win both remaining matches against Samoa and Japan to seal their place. With one of those victories secured, they now face Japan on Thursday in what could be a decisive clash.
After two narrow losses, the Emiratis bounced back impressively against Samoa, posting a formidable total before their bowlers dismantled the opposition to secure a morale-boosting win. The margin of victory also gave them a crucial boost in net run rate, setting up Thursday’s clash with Japan as a potential qualifier decider.
For Nepal and Oman, however, the path to India and Sri Lanka in 2026 has already been assured. Both sides carried two points each into the Super Six stage and continued their fine form to lock in top-three finishes. Nepal’s qualification came after two dramatic, last-ball wins – first against the UAE and then against Qatar.
In the thriller against the UAE, Dipendra Singh Airee’s final over turned chaotic as Dhruv Parashar’s six briefly threatened to tilt the game before Sundeep Jora’s catch and two run-outs handed Nepal a stunning victory. A day later, Sandeep Lamichhane’s 5 for 18 destroyed Qatar’s chase of 148, sealing another last-over triumph for Rohit Paudel’s men.
Oman, meanwhile, eased past Qatar and then edged the UAE in a tense finish thanks to Nadeem Khan’s late fireworks. Their consistency ensured early qualification to the global showpiece.
Samoa’s defeat to UAE, however, ended their campaign, as they failed to replicate their strong group-stage showing that included a win over Papua New Guinea. Qatar remain mathematically alive but face an uphill task – needing to beat Samoa on Thursday and hope other results and net run rates swing their way.