Explained: Why Muhammad Zohaib is Out of T20 World Cup 2026 & Who’s Taking His Place?

The UAE Cricket Team made a massive decision ahead of their opening game of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the New Zealand Cricket Team, which is being played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, one of the biggest cricket stadiums in India, on Tuesday, February 10.

On the eve of the game, the UAE team management released batter Muhammad Zohaib from the team. Zohaib is one of the premier batters in UAE's middle order and his sudden absence raised a few questions.

Explained: Why Muhammad Zohaib is Out of T20 World Cup 2026?

The Emirates Cricket Board was quick to release a statement on Muhammad Zohaib. They openly mentioned that the batter has been sent back home due to disciplinary reasons, adding that the batter won’t be taking part further in the tournament.

The ECB refrained from giving all the entire details about the nature of the disciplinary breach. But mentioned that more details will be provided in due course.

Muhammad Zohaib’s absence will leave a massive void in the UAE’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. The batter has been decent in the few games that he has played for the national team, having made his debut in May 2025.

Zohaib was also there in the UAE line-up for their warm-up games. In the game against Italy, he batted at No. 9 and then slammed 19 off 26 against Nepal in the other warm-up match.

Who will be Muhammad Zohaib Replacement?

Although the UAE didn’t name any replacement in the side, the 21-year-old Aryansh Sharma replaced Zohaib in the batting order. The youngster didn’t have a great start to the tournament as he got out early.

While talking about the situation, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem shared his take on the same and said that there is no India-Pakistan in the team and they are all like a family.

“There is no India-Pakistan. We are playing for the UAE and we are always treating ourselves like a family. We are living like a family, friends. We are spending time together, eating together. There is no Indian-Pakistani in the UAE team to be honest," Muhammad Waseem said of Zohaib's accusations that he was ruled out due to his Pakistani origin.

Muhammad Zohaib T20 World Cup replacement will not be announced by the Emirates Cricket Board since he wasn't injured. Hence, the UAE will go ahead with a smaller squad for the rest of the tournament.