Sharjah – November 1, 2026: AfghanAtalan have put on yet another dominant all-round performance to defeat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the third T20I and complete a comprehensive 3–0 sweep in the Etisalat three-match T20I series, powered by SuperCola.
Earlier in the evening, Afghanistan
won the toss and elected to field first. AfghanAtalan made four changes to the
playing XI for today’s match, resting Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman,
Shahidullah Kamal and Fareed Ahmad Malik. Noor Rahman, Abdullah Tarakhil, Noor
Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi were included in the lineup as their replacements.
Abdullah Tarakhil made his T20I
debut, becoming the 73rd player to represent Afghanistan in the format. The
young fast-bowling all-rounder made an immediate impact in his first
international appearance, claiming two wickets and making a memorable start to
his international career.
Afghanistan’s bowlers produced an
outstanding performance, dismissing the entire Zimbabwean side for just 79
runs. Noor Ahmad was the star of the show, claiming a career-best five wickets
for just 13 runs. Abdullah Tarakhil picked up two wickets, while Fazalhaq
Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Abdullah Ahmadzai claimed one wicket each.
In reply, Afghanistan’s batters
made light work of the target, reaching the required 80 runs in just 8.1 overs
despite losing three wickets to secure a convincing seven-wicket victory.
Captain Ibrahim Zadran remained unbeaten on 25, Sediqullah Atal contributed 20
runs, while Azmatullah Omarzai finished unbeaten on 18.
Noor Ahmad was named Player of
the Match for his exceptional bowling performance.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s talented
all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai enjoyed an outstanding series with both bat and
ball, scoring 141 runs, including a century, and claiming four wickets. His
impressive performances earned him his maiden Player of the Series award in
T20I cricket.
With this victory, AfghanAtalan have
completed a dominant 3–0 series whitewash against Zimbabwe, further underlining
their strength in the shortest format. The two sides will now turn their
attention to a two-match Test series, scheduled to begin next Thursday at the
Sharjah Cricket Stadium.