Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets to win Friday’s ODI tri-series final in Sharjah, with Rashid Khan’s three-wicket spell and Ibrahim Zadran’s unbeaten 70 driving a convincing victory.
Chasing 170, Afghanistan reached 170 for three in 34.3 overs, winning with 93 balls remaining. Hashmatullah Shahidi struck the winning boundary and finished unbeaten on seven alongside Ibrahim.
Rashid finished with three for 41, while Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Bilal Sami claimed two wickets apiece, Jago News reported. Their work left Zimbabwe defending a modest target.
Azmatullah Omarzai supplied the remaining wicket and conceded just six runs in five overs. Afghanistan’s attack prevented Zimbabwe from building momentum despite Raza’s resistance through the middle overs.
Zimbabwe chose to bat but lost three wickets for 26. Farooqi removed Tadiwanashe Marumani and Tafadzwa Tsiga, with Omarzai dismissing Brian Bennett between those two early breakthroughs.
Brendan Taylor’s departure left Zimbabwe 55 for four before Raza and Ryan Burl steadied the innings. Their fifth-wicket partnership produced 60 runs from 87 balls before another collapse.
Burl made 31 from 45 deliveries before falling to Nabi. The veteran offspinner also removed Wessly Madhevere, giving Afghanistan two wickets as Zimbabwe tried to recover from its start.
Rashid then worked through the lower order, dismissing Brad Evans and Newman Nyamhuri before removing Raza. Zimbabwe fell from 115 for four to 137 for nine during that slide.
Raza’s 68 came from 83 balls and included three fours and three sixes. His innings accounted for more than two-fifths of Zimbabwe’s total, highlighting the lack of sustained support.
Blessing Muzarabani and Wellington Masakadza added 32 for the final wicket, lifting Zimbabwe beyond 150. Sami ended the innings by dismissing Masakadza, leaving Muzarabani unbeaten on 17.
Rashid’s spell lifted his tournament tally to 11 wickets from three matches, NewsBytes reported, following four-wicket returns against both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh during the group stage of the competition.
His figures were four for 17 against Zimbabwe and four for 31 against Bangladesh. Friday’s contribution continued that wicket-taking form, although Afghanistan’s other bowlers had established the initial advantage.
Afghanistan’s chase began with a 68-run opening partnership between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim, according to the Cricbuzz scorecard, giving the pursuit of 170 a substantial early platform.
Gurbaz scored 36 from 31 balls before Newman Nyamhuri dismissed him. Nyamhuri also removed Sediqullah Atal for six, briefly checking Afghanistan’s progress with the score at 80 for two.
Ibrahim and Rahmat Shah then added 82 for the third wicket. Rahmat made 43 before falling to Madhevere, with Ryan Burl completing the catch as Afghanistan approached its target.
Ibrahim finished on 70 from 96 balls, including four fours and a six. His unbeaten innings ensured the chase remained controlled even after Rahmat’s departure near the finish.
The final followed Afghanistan’s commanding group-stage win over Zimbabwe, a 158-run victory confirmed in the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s report. Atal’s century and Rashid’s four wickets drove that earlier result.
Afghanistan also defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets to qualify for the final. Their bowling again reduced the opposition to a manageable total, continuing a consistent pattern across the tournament.
For Zimbabwe, Raza’s innings and the late last-wicket stand offered resistance after another difficult start. The total nevertheless left their bowlers little room to absorb Afghanistan’s opening partnership.
Afghanistan finished the tournament unbeaten, backing up two group-stage wins with another decisive performance in the final. Zimbabwe’s resistance could not offset the damage inflicted by the Afghan attack.
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