Afghanistan Sweep UAE ODI Tri-Series Unbeaten as Zadran, Rashid Crush Zimbabwe’s Title Hopes

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, October 23, 2026: Afghanistan completed a perfect UAE ODI Tri-Series campaign on Friday, beating Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the final at Sharjah Cricket Stadium after an outstanding collective bowling performance restricted Sikandar Raza’s team to 169. Ibrahim Zadran anchored the chase with an unbeaten 70 from 96 balls, while Rashid Khan claimed 3/41 and Mohammad Nabi took 2/25 as Afghanistan reached 170/3 in 34.3 overs, winning with 93 deliveries remaining.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza made a determined 68 from 83 balls, but his resistance could not compensate for another top-order collapse. Afghanistan’s bowlers had reduced Zimbabwe to 55/4 inside 13 overs, and Azmatullah Omarzai’s extraordinary figures of 1/6 from five overs illustrated the suffocating control behind the victory. Afghanistan finished the four-match competition with three wins from three appearances, reinforcing their preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI Tri-Series Final: Result and Match Summary

Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, hoping to reverse the 158-run defeat Afghanistan had inflicted on them four days earlier in Abu Dhabi. Instead, another collapse left Raza trying to repair an innings that had already lost much of its scoring potential.

The difference was Afghanistan’s ability to maintain pressure without depending entirely on Rashid Khan. Fazalhaq Farooqi removed two early batters, Omarzai delivered five exceptionally economical overs, and Nabi prevented Zimbabwe’s middle order from building a meaningful recovery.

TSE VISUAL BRIEFING

Story at a glance

01

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI Tri-Series Final: Result and Match Summary

Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, hoping to reverse the 158-run defeat Afghanistan had inflicted on them four days earlier in Abu Dhabi. Instead, another collapse left Raza trying to repair an innings that had already lost much of its scoring potential.

02

Farooqi and Omarzai Put Zimbabwe on the Defensive Before Rashid Strikes

Zimbabwe’s first major problem was losing three wickets for four runs.

03

Sikandar Raza Scores 68, but Zimbabwe’s Batting Support Disappears

Raza’s innings deserved greater support than it received.

04

Why Omarzai’s Six Runs Were as Important as Rashid’s Three Wickets

Rashid finished with Afghanistan’s highest wicket tally, but Omarzai’s spell provides perhaps the strongest explanation for Zimbabwe’s difficulties.

05

Ibrahim Zadran Finishes the Job After Gurbaz Gives Afghanistan a Flying Start

Chasing 170, Afghanistan required only 3.40 runs per over. Rahmanullah Gurbaz nevertheless attacked immediately, preventing Zimbabwe from creating sustained pressure with the new ball.

Afghanistan’s superiority had already been evident in The Sports Encounter’s analysis of the tri-series qualification race, which examined how its comprehensive league victory over Zimbabwe reshaped the competition.

What Changed Between Afghanistan’s Two Victories Over Zimbabwe?

Afghanistan won both encounters comfortably, although the manner of victory differed. The first featured a substantial batting total and a 158-run margin. The final required the same bowling discipline but a much smaller target.

TSE statistical insight: Zimbabwe scored 33 more runs in the final than in the previous meeting, but needed another 29 legal deliveries to do so. Its scoring rate improved from approximately 3.52 to 3.89 runs per over, yet remained below four in both matches. Afghanistan had limited Zimbabwe’s batting opportunities so effectively that the improvement made little difference to the outcome.

These rates use the official innings totals divided by legal deliveries, multiplied by six. October 19: 136 runs from 232 deliveries. October 23: 169 runs from 261 deliveries.

Farooqi and Omarzai Put Zimbabwe on the Defensive Before Rashid Strikes

Zimbabwe’s first major problem was losing three wickets for four runs.

Tadiwanashe Marumani made 12 before Farooqi bowled him at 22/1. Brian Bennett, who had scored nine from 21 balls, fell to Omarzai at 26/2. Farooqi then removed Tafadzwa Tsiga without another run being added.

Zimbabwe were 26/3 after 6.4 overs, already facing the uncomfortable task of rebuilding against an attack that had dominated them in the league stage.

Brendan Taylor briefly helped stabilize the innings before Bilal Sami dismissed him for seven. At 55/4 in the 13th over, Zimbabwe needed a partnership substantial enough to change the tempo of the final.

Raza and Ryan Burl provided the only convincing period of resistance. Burl contributed 31 from 45 balls, and the fifth-wicket partnership added 60 runs before Nabi removed him at 115/5.

That dismissal mattered because Zimbabwe had begun to establish something resembling an innings. Nabi denied the lower middle order an opportunity to accelerate, stumping Wessly Madhevere for three soon afterward.

Rashid then collected three wickets, removing Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri and eventually Raza. Zimbabwe slipped to 137/9 before Blessing Muzarabani and Wellington Masakadza added 32 for the final wicket.

Sikandar Raza Scores 68, but Zimbabwe’s Batting Support Disappears

Raza’s innings deserved greater support than it received.

The Zimbabwe captain struck three fours and three sixes during his 83-ball stay. His 68 represented approximately 40.2% of Zimbabwe’s entire total.

Raza and Burl contributed 99 runs between them. The remaining nine Zimbabwe batters combined for only 61 runs, with nine extras completing the innings total.

Those figures expose Zimbabwe’s main batting problem. Its two most effective contributors were responsible for almost three-fifths of the team’s runs, leaving Afghanistan free to attack a fragile lower order.

Zimbabwe had shown more collective batting resistance in its recent ODI series against Australia. Our coverage of Zimbabwe’s second ODI against Australia examined an innings featuring several middle-order contributions, including Raza’s 45. Against Afghanistan, similar support never materialized.

Zimbabwe Full Batting Scorecard

Fall of wickets: 22/1 (Marumani, 4.2), 26/2 (Bennett, 5.6), 26/3 (Tsiga, 6.4), 55/4 (Taylor, 12.1), 115/5 (Burl, 26.4), 125/6 (Madhevere, 28.2), 128/7 (Evans, 29.6), 130/8 (Nyamhuri, 31.6), 137/9 (Raza, 33.4), 169/10 (Masakadza, 43.3).

Why Omarzai’s Six Runs Were as Important as Rashid’s Three Wickets

Rashid finished with Afghanistan’s highest wicket tally, but Omarzai’s spell provides perhaps the strongest explanation for Zimbabwe’s difficulties.

He bowled five overs, including a maiden, and conceded only six runs. His economy rate of 1.20 was comfortably the best in the match.

Twenty-four of his 30 legal deliveries were dot balls, meaning Zimbabwe failed to score from 80% of the deliveries he bowled.

That pressure forced other batters to search for runs elsewhere. Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Nabi and Rashid all benefited from a bowling performance in which Zimbabwe rarely controlled the scoring rate.

Nabi supplied another outstanding spell, conceding 25 from 10 overs, including 41 dot balls. His wickets of Burl and Madhevere came during the period when Zimbabwe desperately needed to rebuild.

Ghazanfar went wicketless, but his six overs cost only 24 runs. The collective performance illustrates how Afghanistan can sustain scoreboard pressure even when its leading wicket-takers rotate through different phases of an innings.

Afghanistan Full Bowling Scorecard

The overlooked bowling contribution: Omarzai and Nabi collectively returned 3/31 from 15 overs, conceding just 2.07 runs per over. Those 90 deliveries accounted for more than one-third of Zimbabwe’s innings and gave Afghanistan considerable control over the scoring rate.

Rashid’s performance continued the form he had demonstrated against Bangladesh, where he took 4/31 as Afghanistan secured its place in the final. Our detailed Afghanistan-Bangladesh match report examines how Afghanistan’s pace and spin combination dismantled the opposition in Sharjah.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s official report on the October 19 victory also confirms the earlier dominance: Rashid took 4/17 and Farooqi 2/15 as Zimbabwe collapsed for 136.

Ibrahim Zadran Finishes the Job After Gurbaz Gives Afghanistan a Flying Start

Chasing 170, Afghanistan required only 3.40 runs per over. Rahmanullah Gurbaz nevertheless attacked immediately, preventing Zimbabwe from creating sustained pressure with the new ball.

Gurbaz struck four boundaries and two sixes in his 36 from 31 balls. Together with Ibrahim Zadran, he added 68 for the opening wicket in 9.4 overs.

The wicketkeeper-batter’s approach was familiar to readers who followed Afghanistan’s World Cup performances. Our retrospective on Gurbaz’s decisive contribution against England at the 2023 World Cup explores his ability to change an innings through aggressive stroke play.

Newman Nyamhuri gave Zimbabwe a brief opportunity when he dismissed Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal. Afghanistan moved from 68/1 to 80/2, but the required rate remained comfortably within reach.

Ibrahim recognized that the target required patience rather than unnecessary risks. He brought up his half-century from 65 balls and gradually removed Zimbabwe’s remaining hopes alongside captain Rahmat Shah.

The pair added 82 for the third wicket, taking Afghanistan from 80/2 to 162/3.

Rahmat contributed 43 from 63 balls before Wessly Madhevere dismissed him. Hashmatullah Shahidi then joined Ibrahim, and Afghanistan completed the chase at 170/3 with a late-cut boundary in the 35th over.

Ibrahim remained unbeaten on 70 from 96 balls, continuing the batting form he demonstrated earlier in the tournament with 90 against Zimbabwe.

His ability to construct an innings has also been evident in franchise cricket. The Sports Encounter previously examined Ibrahim’s 95 for Jaffna Kings, highlighting his capacity to control scoring opportunities while building a substantial individual contribution.

Afghanistan Full Batting Scorecard

Did not bat: Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami and Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Fall of wickets: 68/1 (Gurbaz, 9.4), 80/2 (Atal, 13.3), 162/3 (Rahmat Shah, 32.5).

Zimbabwe Full Bowling Scorecard

Nyamhuri was Zimbabwe’s leading wicket-taker with 2/30, while Ryan Burl offered useful control, conceding 19 from six overs.

But Afghanistan’s opening partnership had already established the direction of the chase. Zimbabwe required a sequence of wickets to turn 169 into a competitive target, and those breakthroughs never came quickly enough.

Three Victories, One Trophy: Afghanistan’s ODI Progress Before the 2027 World Cup

Afghanistan’s triumph completed a campaign in which every match produced a victory.

The team opened by beating Zimbabwe by 158 runs in Abu Dhabi on October 19. Two days later, it defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in Sharjah after bowling the Tigers out for 160. The final brought another seven-wicket success against Zimbabwe.

Different players shaped the three results.

Atal scored a century in the opening victory, Rashid repeatedly delivered vital wickets, and Ibrahim produced major contributions across the competition. Rahmat and Shahidi offered batting stability when Afghanistan needed controlled chases rather than explosive scoring.

Atal’s progress also connects to Afghanistan’s earlier red-ball resilience. His 111 in the one-off Test against Bangladesh earlier this month helped Afghanistan survive 142 overs and secure a draw. Our analysis of that remarkable Test escape provides additional context for his development across formats.

Afghanistan’s bowling performance in this tri-series offers another important perspective on its batting structure.

An earlier TSE comparison of ODI middle-order batting averages identified concerns about Afghanistan’s consistency. Its successful chases against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe were encouraging, although neither required the lower middle order to negotiate a large target under sustained pressure.

That remains an area worth examining against stronger opposition and in higher-scoring contests.

Afghanistan and Zimbabwe Are Already Heading for Another World Cup Meeting

The consequences extend beyond the Sharjah trophy.

According to the ICC’s official 2027 Cricket World Cup schedule, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe are in the same group and are scheduled to meet in Bulawayo during the tournament.

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That gives the two October encounters additional significance. Zimbabwe now have direct evidence of how effectively Afghanistan can combine new-ball seam bowling, middle-over spin and calculated batting.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, can use the results to assess a bowling attack that appears particularly comfortable defending and creating modest targets in conditions favorable to disciplined bowling.

The team had already secured its World Cup place earlier in 2026. Our report on Rashid Khan’s decisive performance against Ireland explains how Afghanistan achieved direct qualification through a dramatic three-wicket victory.

The UAE tri-series adds another piece to that development, although the World Cup will demand results against a much wider range of opponents and conditions.

What Happens Next for Afghanistan and Zimbabwe?

Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will continue their international program in the UAE, switching formats after the ODI final.

The ICC’s original tour announcement confirmed a three-match T20I series beginning October 27, followed by two Tests in November.

For Afghanistan, the immediate challenge will be carrying its ODI confidence into a shorter format that places greater emphasis on boundary scoring, bowling variation and rapid tactical decisions.

Zimbabwe must address the repeated batting collapses that undermined both defeats against Afghanistan. Raza continues to provide leadership and individual quality, but stronger contributions from the top and middle order will be essential if Zimbabwe want to challenge consistently.

The broader question concerns Afghanistan’s ceiling in ODI cricket.

The team has proven it can dominate opponents through precise bowling, adaptable batting and experienced match management. What remains to be tested is how reliably those strengths hold up when Afghanistan must chase 300 or defend a total on a surface offering less assistance to its bowlers.

Sharjah provided an emphatic answer about which side controlled this tournament. The coming year will establish how much further Afghanistan can take that control.

Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI Tri-Series Final: Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe ODI Tri-Series final on October 23, 2026?

Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the final at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, winning the 2026 UAE ODI Tri-Series unbeaten.

What was the final score?

Zimbabwe scored 169 all out in 43.3 overs. Afghanistan reached 170/3 in 34.3 overs, winning with 93 balls remaining.

Who scored the most runs for Afghanistan?

Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with an unbeaten 70 from 96 deliveries, hitting four fours and one six.

How many wickets did Rashid Khan take?

Rashid Khan claimed three wickets for 41 runs from his 10 overs, dismissing Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri and Sikandar Raza.

Who was Zimbabwe’s highest run-scorer?

Sikandar Raza scored 68 from 83 balls, including three fours and three sixes.

Which Afghanistan bowler had the best economy rate?

Azmatullah Omarzai finished with remarkable figures of 1/6 from five overs, recording an economy rate of just 1.20 runs per over.

Did Afghanistan lose any matches in the UAE ODI Tri-Series?

No. Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe twice and Bangladesh once, winning all three matches it played in the competition.

When will Afghanistan and Zimbabwe play next?

The two teams are scheduled to begin a three-match T20I series on October 27, 2026, in Sharjah, followed by two Test matches in November. They are also scheduled to meet at the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Final result: Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets and won the UAE ODI Tri-Series 2026 unbeaten. Zimbabwe 169 all out (43.3 overs); Afghanistan 170/3 (34.3 overs). Ibrahim Zadran 70 not out; Sikandar Raza 68; Rashid Khan 3/41.