Sharjah: Afghanistan completed a commanding 3-0 T20I series whitewash over Zimbabwe on Sunday, bowling the visitors out for just 79 before chasing the target down in only 8.1 overs at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad was the star of the show, claiming a maiden five-wicket haul in T20 internationals. His figures of 5 for 13 in 3.3 overs ripped through Zimbabwe’s batting line-up and set up a seven-wicket win with 71 balls to spare — Afghanistan’s second-biggest win in terms of balls remaining in the format.
Captain Ibrahim Zadran had won the toss and chosen to field, hoping his team’s chasing abilities would be tested in the final match of the series. In the end, there was barely a chase to speak of. Zimbabwe lost three wickets with only 13 runs on the board, and although Ryan Burl and Wessly Madhevere steadied things briefly with a 43-run stand for the fourth wicket, the innings never recovered.
Burl top-scored with 30 off 29 balls, including five fours, but Zimbabwe were bowled out for 79 in 14.3 overs — their second-lowest total in T20 internationals and their lowest ever against Afghanistan. Debutant Abdullah Tarakhail took 2 for 14, while Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Abdollah Ahmadzai picked up a wicket each.
Afghanistan’s chase was swift and ruthless. Zadran and Mohammad Akram added 15 for the first wicket before Akram fell for 14, and although Sediqullah Atal (20) and Noor ul Rahman (0) departed in the fifth over, Zadran, unbeaten on 25 off 17 balls, combined with Omarzai, 18 not out off 12, to finish the job. Omarzai sealed the win by launching Vincent Masekesa over long-on for six, and was later named Player of the Series for his contributions across the three matches.
The result capped a dominant series for Afghanistan, who had won the opener by 37 runs and the second match by 19 runs, with Omarzai’s 116 from 50 balls the highlight of the middle game. It was also Afghanistan’s 22nd T20I win in their last 24 matches, underlining their growing authority in the shortest format.
For Zimbabwe, the defeat was a sobering end to the white-ball leg of the tour. Captain Sikandar Raza’s record hundred in the second match had promised more, but the batting around him could not match that urgency, and the side now faces a quick reset. The two teams meet again in the red-ball format, with the first Test of the two-match series beginning in Sharjah on November 5.
Brief scores: Zimbabwe 79 all out in 14.3 overs (Ryan Burl 30; Noor Ahmad 5-13, Abdullah Tarakhail 2-14) lost to Afghanistan 81/3 in 8.1 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 25*, Sediqullah Atal 20, Azmatullah Omarzai 18*; Ernest Masuku 2-21) by seven wickets. Afghanistan win series 3-0.
