Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by three wickets in a thrilling third T20I on Saturday to secure a 2-1 series victory. Chasing a modest target of 128, Afghanistan overcame a shaky start, demonstrating resilience and capitalizing on Zimbabwe’s errors to seal the win with three balls to spare.
Zimbabwe, after being sent in to bat, managed only 127 runs, a total that appeared defendable when Afghanistan found themselves struggling at 45 for 4 in the seventh over. However, the game took a turn when Faraz Akram bowled an 11-ball over, conceding five wides and giving Afghanistan much-needed breathing space. The pair of Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib then anchored the innings, adding a crucial 48-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Rashid Khan had earlier starred with the ball, taking 4 for 27 in a brilliant spell that decimated Zimbabwe’s middle and lower order. Zimbabwe collapsed from 78 for 3 in the 11th over to 106 for 9 by the 17th. Rashid’s victims included Tashinga Musekiwa, Richard Ngarava, and Blessing Muzarabani, with three of his wickets coming in a single over. While Wellington Masakadza and Trevor Gwandu added a valuable 21 runs for the last wicket, Zimbabwe’s total remained below par.
Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett stood out with the bat, scoring 31 off 24 balls, including four boundaries. However, his dismissal in the ninth over marked the beginning of the slowdown. Sikandar Raza contributed 18 but fell to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, whose tidy spell supported Rashid’s brilliance.
In response, Afghanistan’s top order faltered, with Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava extracting extra bounce to reduce them to 9 for 2 early in the chase. Despite losing wickets regularly, Omarzai’s composed 34 and Naib’s steady 22 helped stabilize the innings. Mohammad Nabi’s unbeaten 14 ensured Afghanistan crossed the finish line, hitting the winning boundary in the final over.
Zimbabwe’s 17 extras, including five wides, proved costly, handing Afghanistan a crucial edge in a tight contest. The victory marks Afghanistan’s sixth consecutive bilateral T20I series win against Zimbabwe, underlining their dominance in this format.