NEW DELHI: Senior pacer Junaid Siddique picked up a five-wicket haul to spearhead a disciplined bowling performance from the United Arab Emirates as they kept Canada to a below-par 150 for 7 in their T20 World Cup clash on Friday.
Choosing to bat, Canada were rocked early as pacers Siddique (5/35) and Muhammad Jawadullah tore through the top order inside the opening four overs.
Siddique laid the foundation with a brilliant opening burst, striking twice up front before adding three more wickets at the death.
Canada manage 150 after a brilliant five-wicket haul from Junaid Siddique! 🏏
Is this enough to defend against UAE or will the chase be wrapped up quickly? 👀
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | #CANvUAE | LIVE NOW 👉 pic.twitter.com/Xph3cUazdb
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 13, 2026
Early blows put Canada on the back foot
He began by pitching the ball up around off stump to tempt opener Dilprit Bajwa into an aerial drive, only for the skipper to mistime it and hand a straightforward catch.
Siddique then went wider on the crease, targeting the fifth-stump line as opener Yuvraj Samra went for the pull, offering a regulation catch to Alishan Sharafu at mid-on.
Jawadullah soon joined in, making an instant impact with his first delivery as the dangerous Nicholas Kirton edged behind, leaving Canada three down inside the first six overs.
Thaker fights back, Siddique finishes strong
Harsh Thaker tried to steady the innings with a 41-ball fifty. He briefly swung momentum with a boundary and a six, helping Canada recover alongside Navneet Dhaliwal (34).
Thaker added two crucial stands — a 58-run partnership with Dhaliwal and a 33-run alliance with Shreyas Movva (21).
But Siddique returned in the 18th over to break the resistance by removing Thaker.
In his following over, he dismissed Movva with a slower bouncer before accounting for Saad Bin Zafar, effectively shutting down Canada’s late surge.
(With PTI Inputs)
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