Spin bowling maestro Rashid Khan and top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran were the key performers as Afghanistan secured a dominant seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on October 31. This win, achieved with a game to spare, allowed the tourists to clinch the three-match T20I series.
Afghanistan seal T20I series with 7-wicket win over Zimbabwe
The match saw Zimbabwe win the toss and elect to bat first, only to be bowled out for a modest total of 125. Afghanistan then made light work of the chase, reaching 129 for three with 12 balls still remaining. This series victory comes as a major boost after Afghanistan had suffered a heavy defeat in the preceding one-off Test match.
Rashid Khan, Ibrahim Zadran win it for Afghanistan
Afghanistan's success was largely orchestrated by their skipper, Rashid Khan, who registered outstanding bowling figures of three wickets for just nine runs. Khan notably accounted for rival captain Sikandar Raza, who was Zimbabwe's top-scorer with a resilient 37 runs off 32 balls, an innings that included four boundaries. Raza's dismissal came when he struggled to deal with a delivery aimed at the off-stump, striking the ball straight back to the 27-year-old Afghan captain for a comfortable catch and bowl. With the series now decided, the final T20 is set to be a dead rubber, which will be played on Sunday.
Rashid Khan continued to dismantle the Zimbabwean middle order, striking again just three balls later in the 16th over. Using a deceptive googly, he caused Tashinga Musekiwa (13) to be caught by Mohammad Nabi at long on. Musekiwa's wicket brought an end to the best partnership of the innings, a 24-run sixth-wicket stand with Sikandar Raza. Zimbabwe's earlier struggles were evident in the failures of top-order players Dion Myers (six) and Brendan Taylor (three). Khan later claimed his third victim when he trapped Brad Evans (12) leg before wicket as Evans attempted a desperate sweep shot late in the innings.
In Afghanistan’s chase, Ibrahim Zadran once again proved to be the anchor, finishing as the top-scorer for the second consecutive game. He struck an unbeaten 57 runs off 51 balls, which included seven fours, securing his twelfth T20 half-century after having scored 52 in the previous match on Wednesday. Zadran ensured stability throughout the chase. Ultimately, it was Azmatullah Omarzai who hit the match and series-winning four past long off, completing a dominant performance by Afghanistan.