Zimbabwe secured a thrilling last-ball victory over Afghanistan in the first T20I, clinching the match by four wickets. The dramatic finish, highlighted by Tashinga Musekiwa’s heroics, captivated the energetic Harare crowd.
Chasing 145, Zimbabwe faced stiff resistance from Afghanistan’s spin trio—Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Restrictive spells brought the required runs to 21 off the final 12 balls. However, Naveen-ul-Haq’s erratic final over, which included five wides, and Azmatullah Omarzai’s inability to defend 10 runs in the last over proved decisive. Musekiwa smashed a slower delivery for six, followed by strategic running and a boundary off the final ball to seal Zimbabwe’s victory.
The chase began cautiously as Zimbabwe found themselves under pressure early. Naveen bowled a maiden and restricted Tadiwanashe Marumani’s scoring. However, Brian Bennett and Dion Myers steadied the innings with a crucial 75-run stand. Myers struck Rashid for boundaries while Bennett targeted Omarzai, pushing the run rate. Nabi’s quicker delivery eventually ended Myers’ innings, raising the required rate to over nine per over.
Naveen’s inconsistencies allowed Sikandar Raza to hit boundaries before he was dismissed after a quick cameo. Rashid then claimed Bennett for 49 and Ryan Burl cheaply, but Musekiwa’s calculated hitting ensured Zimbabwe crossed the line.
Earlier, Afghanistan opted to bat first, but Zimbabwe’s disciplined bowling restricted them to 144. Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell early to Richard Ngarava, while Hazratullah Zazai, after a promising start, was dismissed by Blessing Muzarabani. Wickets fell regularly, and Afghanistan were 58 for 5 in the 11th over.
Nabi and Karim Janat rescued the innings with a steady 79-run partnership. Nabi’s aggressive hitting, coupled with sloppy Zimbabwean fielding, helped Afghanistan cross 100. Nabi struck a flurry of boundaries off Ngarava and Trevor Gwandu but was dismissed in the 19th over. Janat remained unbeaten with 54 off 49 balls, but the lack of late acceleration left Afghanistan short of a match-winning total.
Zimbabwe’s disciplined bowling and resilient batting in a nail-biting finish gave them a 1-0 lead in the series, setting up an exciting contest for the remaining matches.