Afghanistan’s national cricket team defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the final of the Tri-Nation One-Day International (ODI) Series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates, securing the championship title.
In the final, played on October 23, Zimbabwe batted first and scored 169 runs before being bowled out in 43.3 overs, as Afghanistan’s bowlers delivered an impressive performance.
Sikandar Raza was Zimbabwe’s top scorer with 68 runs, while Ryan Burl contributed 31. Among Afghanistan’s bowlers, Rashid Khan claimed three wickets, while Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Bilal Sami took two wickets each. Azmatullah Omarzai claimed one wicket.
In reply, Afghanistan comfortably chased down the target of 170 runs, reaching 171 for the loss of three wickets in 34.3 overs. Ibrahim Zadran led the batting effort with an unbeaten 70, while Rahmat Shah scored 43 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz added 36 runs.
Ibrahim Zadran was named Player of the Match for his outstanding batting performance, while Rashid Khan received the Player of the Series award after taking 11 wickets across the three matches.
The final also marked two significant milestones in Afghan cricket. Rashid Khan played his 250th international match for Afghanistan, while Mohammad Nabi reached 300 wickets in international cricket.
Afghanistan won all three of its matches in the Tri-Nation Series, which featured Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, and lifted the trophy unbeaten.
Following the ODI series, Afghanistan are scheduled to begin a Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Zimbabwe on October 27.
