Junaid Siddique stole the spotlight in the T20 World Cup 2026 match against Canada at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, picking up a five-wicket haul to power the United Arab Emirates to a dominant position. His figures are now the second-best recorded by an associate nation player in the tournament’s history, behind only Ahsan Malik’s 5 for 19 for the Netherlands against South Africa in 2014.
Siddique struck early, dismantling Canada’s opening pair as Yuvraj Samra was out for 5 and Dilpreet Singh for 11. The pacer returned later in the innings to target the middle order, removing Harsh Thaker, who had battled to a 40-ball half-century, and Shreyas Movva, who had contributed 21 runs at a strike rate of 100. He completed the landmark five-wicket haul by dismissing Saad Bin Zafar, marking a career-first achievement in international cricket.
Canada post 150 runs in first innings
Canada struggled to find a good rhythm early in their innings, with the strike rate lagging, but they managed to post a competitive 150 runs. Harsh Thaker’s half-century and Navneet Dhaliwal’s 34 gave the innings some much-needed momentum after a slow start.
For the UAE, chasing their first win in the tournament, the key will be making the most of the powerplay. Captain Mohammad Waseem’s experience could prove vital in conditions that assist the spinners, while smart rotation of the strike in the middle overs will be crucial to keep the scoreboard ticking and build a strong platform for the finishers.
United Arab Emirates (Playing XI): Aryansh Sharma (wk), Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Mayank Kumar, Sohaib Khan, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Jawadullah
Canada (Playing XI): Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel
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