The United Arab Emirates suffered a surprise off-field setback on the eve of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign after batter Muhammad Zohaib was sent home on disciplinary grounds, just a day before their opening match against New Zealand in Chennai.

The Emirates Cricket Board confirmed Zohaib’s departure in a statement on Monday but stopped short of detailing the nature of the breach, adding that further information would be shared at a later stage. Zohaib, who made his T20I debut in May 2025, has featured in 16 matches for the UAE, scoring 303 runs at an average of 20.20 and a strike rate of 103.76. In the team’s recent warm-up fixtures, he batted at No. 9 in the loss to Italy and scored 19 off 26 balls against Nepal.

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Zohaib’s exit leaves a notable hole in the UAE batting line-up, especially ahead of their first T20 World Cup appearance since 2022. With the top-order option unavailable, the UAE are expected to open with 21-year-old Aryansh Sharma alongside captain Muhammad Waseem against the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand side.

Addressing the situation in his pre-match comments, Waseem chose to steer clear of controversy, instead underlining the team’s unity and preparation. The UAE skipper also dismissed any talk of internal divides, stressing that the squad functions as a close-knit unit.

“Our strategy is very simple. We have beaten them before in the UAE, but this is a different venue, a different tournament and a different game. We have prepared ourselves like a champion team and will try to play good cricket against them,” Waseem said.

“There is no India-Pakistan within our team. We play for the UAE. We live like a family, spend time together and eat together. There is no Indian or Pakistani divide in this squad,” he added.

The disciplinary action has added an unexpected layer of intrigue to the UAE’s World Cup build-up and could test their batting depth against a well-drilled BlackCaps unit when the two sides meet on Tuesday, February 10.