Afghanistan crush Zimbabwe to seal unbeaten UAE tri-series triumph

Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the final to win the UAE ODI tri-series, completing an unbeaten campaign. Ibrahim Zadran made an unbeaten 70 as Afghanistan chased 170 with 93 balls to spare, after their bowlers dismissed Zimbabwe for 169.

How did Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe in the UAE ODI tri-series final?

Afghanistan’s bowlers, led by Rashid Khan with three wickets, reduced Zimbabwe to 55-4 and bowled them out for 169 in 43.3 overs, with only Sikandar Raza’s 68 offering resistance. Afghanistan then comfortably reached their 170-run target in 34.3 overs with only three wickets down.

Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Bilal Sami took two wickets each, and Azmatullah Omarzai claimed the other.

Zimbabwe’s innings began to unravel inside the opening seven overs. Farooqi bowled Tadiwanashe Marumani and later dismissed Tafadzwa Tsiga, while Omarzai removed Brian Bennett for nine. Sami then had Brendan Taylor caught behind.

Raza and Ryan Burl steadied the innings with a 60-run partnership. Raza made 68, including his 27th ODI half-century, while Burl added 31 from 45 balls.

Nabi broke the stand by having Burl caught at deep square leg, then stumped Wessly Madhevere, reaching 300 international wickets in the process. Rashid dismantled the lower order, trapping Brad Evans lbw and bowling Newman Nyamhuri. He also ended Raza’s resistance with a catch at long-off, shortly after the Zimbabwe captain had hit him for six.

A 32-run last-wicket stand between Blessing Muzarabani and Wellington Masakadza briefly delayed the end. Sami bowled Zimbabwe out in the 44th over.

How did Afghanistan chase down 170 against Zimbabwe?

Rahmanullah Gurbaz made an aggressive start, striking four fours and two sixes in his 31-ball innings before Nyamhuri dismissed him. The same bowler removed Sediqullah Atal for six, but Zadran continued to control the chase.

Zadran and Rahmat Shah added 82 for the third wicket before Rahmat fell for 43 to a one-handed catch by Madhevere at mid-wicket. Zadran and Hashmatullah Shahidi then guided Afghanistan home, with Shahidi hitting the winning boundary in the 35th over.

Zadran finished on 70 not out off 96 deliveries, while Gurbaz contributed 36. Afghanistan reached 172-3 in 34.3 overs, completing the seven-wicket win with 93 balls to spare.

The victory capped a commanding tournament, as Afghanistan went unbeaten to claim the tri-series title.