Afghanistan secured a 2-0 series victory over Zimbabwe after a remarkable comeback in the second T20 international. Despite a collapse that left them tottering at 5/4 within four overs, the side staged a historic recovery to post 221/7 before restricting Zimbabwe to 202/5. They spurned a golden opportunity to beat Afghanistan and level the series. They were left figuring out how to stop the flow of the runs.
The match turned into a high-scoring spectacle with over 400 runs aggregated and a century recorded by both sides. Featuring a century each by both the teams, it was another run fest as more than 400 runs were scored.
Zimbabwe entered the contest knowing it was a must-win game after trailing 1-0, yet they ultimately fell 19 runs short of the target.
Sikander Raza provided a brilliant lone hand for the visitors, finishing unbeaten on 106 from 56 balls with nine sixes and five boundaries, but lacked sufficient support to force a win. Sikander Raza tried to keep the chase alive with a fighting century but he did not get enough support from the other end. Waging the lone battle single-handedly, raza showed a spirit of a true sportsman.
The opening stages of the match were dominated by Zimbabwe’s bowlers, who dismantled the Afghan top order. Brad Evans struck first by removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz, while Mohammad Akram, Shahidullah, and captain Ibrahim Zadran also fell without scoring as the team struggled to 5/4. Afghanistan had managed only a single boundary in the first ten overs, reaching the halfway mark at 45/5. Mohammad Abdullah covers major sports event like FIFA WC, Cricket WC and Formula One. The credit for the turnaround of the match goes as much to Zimbabwe bowlers as Afghan batters. They were 45/5 at the mid-way. He struck on successive deliveries to make it 5/4. Matiguma uprooted the stumps of captain Ibrahim Zadran to make it 4/3 and had Shahidullah caught by Marumani.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the second half of the innings as Azmatullah Omarzai and Ijaz Ahmed Ahmadzai took control. The pair forged a 142-run partnership in just 8.5 overs, completely neutralising the Zimbabwean bowling attack. Omarzai, who reached his maiden T20I century, became the first player globally to score a hundred while batting at number six. Afghanistan were in tatters and needed a big partnership to revive the innings. Sadiqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai added 33 runs for the fifth wicket to take the score to 38/4. He took the command in his hands and started leading the charge. Both Omarzai and Ahamedzai combined to put the faltering back on track. Oamrzai and Ahmadzai were in a devastating mood.
Omarzai ended his innings with 12 sixes and five fours, scoring 92 of his 116 runs in boundaries.
Complementing him, Ahmadzai played an aggressive knock, smashing four boundaries off Musuka in the 18th over to reach his fifty in just 25 balls.
Following their departures, Rashid Khan provided a late flurry, plundering 25 runs off the final six balls to help set a total that surpassed Afghanistan’s previous record of 215 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He collected 15 runs off Burl with the help of two sixes.
In response, Zimbabwe started brightly but could not maintain the required scoring rate as wickets fell at regular intervals. Raza’s heroic effort kept the match competitive, but the side was unable to overcome the target set by the hosts. This result marks Afghanistan’s 17th victory in their last 19 T20 encounters against Zimbabwe, maintaining a dominant head-to-head record that dates back to 2014. Chasing Zimbabwe got off to a promising start as they looked set to redeem for their mistakes. Earlier, Zimbabwe once again failed to capitalise on the dream start.
Historically, Afghanistan has held the upper hand in this rivalry, having won eight consecutive T20 matches between 2015 and 2021. Although Zimbabwe broke that streak with a rare victory in 2021 and another in 2024, they continue to struggle for consistency against their Asian counterparts. Data from the last 19 matches shows an average batting total of 175 for Afghanistan compared to 148 for Zimbabwe. In the last ten overs, Afghanistan smashed 176 runs at an astonishing average of 17.6 runs per over. Of the 176 runs, 120 came in the last five overs. Every ball of the last five overs fetched a boundary, if broken down into simple math.
Rashid Khan continues to lead the bowling charts for the fixture with 34 career wickets against Zimbabwe, well ahead of Blessings Muzarabani’s 14. Despite the current series loss, the Zimbabwean team remains focused on their development as they look to bridge the gap with a side that has matured significantly in the international arena over the last two decades.
