AFG Seal Series with 7-Wicket Win.
After bundling out the hosts for a modest 125, the Afghan batting line-up, led by the ever-reliable Ibrahim Zadran, chased down the target with 12 balls to spare, underlining their superiority in all departments. 
Zimbabwe, who won the toss and elected to bat, never recovered from early blows delivered by Afghanistan’s pace and spin combination. Despite a fighting 37 from captain Sikandar Raza, the home side crumbled under pressure, losing their last seven wickets for just 48 runs. Rashid Khan, the Afghan skipper, was the chief destroyer with figures of 3/9, while Azmatullah Omarzai and Naveen-ul-Haq chipped in with two wickets each. In reply, Afghanistan lost three early wickets but Ibrahim Zadran’s composed unbeaten 57 — his second fifty in as many matches — ensured a smooth sail to victory. Azmatullah Omarzai finished unbeaten on 20, striking the winning boundary in the 18th over. With the series already in the bag, the third and final T20I on Sunday now becomes a dead rubber, though both teams will look to fine-tune combinations ahead of future assignments.
Zimbabwe Innings: Raza Fights Alone as Afghanistan Dominate Zimbabwe’s decision to bat first backfired spectacularly as they lost wickets at regular intervals. The tone was set in the very first over when Naveen-ul-Haq trapped Brian Bennett lbw for a duck with a sharp inswinger. The young opener misjudged the line completely, and Afghanistan had the perfect start. 
Nick Welch, promoted up the order, looked positive early on, driving Fazalhaq Farooqi through covers for a boundary. But his aggression proved short-lived. In the third over, Azmatullah Omarzai induced a thick edge off Welch’s bat, and the catch was safely pouched by Rahmanullah Gurbaz behind the stumps. Zimbabwe: 14/2 after 3 overs. Captain Sikandar Raza walked in at No. 4 and immediately took the attack to the bowlers. He smashed Naveen for two boundaries in the fourth over — a classy cover drive followed by a powerful pull through mid-wicket. But his partner, Tadiwanashe Marumani, struggled to rotate strike and eventually fell to a rash shot off Noor Ahmad, skying a catch to long-on. Zimbabwe: 32/3 after 6 overs (Powerplay). The middle overs belonged entirely to Rashid Khan. The leg-spin wizard struck in his first over, the 8th of the innings, when Dion Myers played across the line and was trapped lbw for 12. Two overs later, Rashid produced a gem — a googly that spun sharply past Ryan Burl’s defensive prod and crashed into the off-stump. Zimbabwe were reeling at 61/5. Raza, meanwhile, continued to wage a lone battle. He brought up Zimbabwe’s 100 in the 15th over with a six over long-on off Noor Ahmad, but the joy was short-lived. In the 16th over, Rashid struck the decisive blow. Raza attempted a lofted cover drive but only managed to chip the ball back to the bowler. Rashid Khan completed a sharp return catch, sending back Zimbabwe’s best batter for 37 off 32 balls (3x4, 1x6). The lower order collapsed like a house of cards. Tashinga Musekiwa (6) was bowled by a Rashid googly, Brad Evans (0) edged one to slip off the same bowler, and Blessing Muzarabani (4) was cleaned up by Azmatullah Omarzai. Richard Ngarava provided a late cameo with two sixes, but it was too little, too late. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 125 in 19.3 overs, with Rashid Khan finishing with 3/9 — his best figures in T20Is against Zimbabwe.
Afghanistan Innings: Zadran Anchors Chase with Classy Fifty Chasing 126, Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz early. The explosive opener miscued a pull off Richard Ngarava and was caught at mid-wicket for 5. But Hazratullah Zazai and Ibrahim Zadran steadied the ship with a 36-run stand. 
Zazai, in particular, looked in fine touch. He smashed Blessing Muzarabani for two boundaries in the fourth over — a crisp drive through extra cover and a flick past square leg. However, his aggression led to his downfall. Attempting to loft Sikandar Raza over mid-off, Zazai only found the fielder, departing for 28 off 19 balls. At 44/2 in the 7th over, Afghanistan needed stability. Ibrahim Zadran and Karim Janat provided just that. The duo rotated strike brilliantly, punishing loose deliveries without taking undue risks. Zadran, in particular, was sublime. He reached his fifty in the 15th over with a delicate late cut off Wellington Masakadza — his 12th T20I half-century and second consecutive one in the series. Janat fell soon after, stumped by Tadiwanashe Marumani off Raza for 18, leaving Afghanistan at 97/3 in the 15th over. But with only 29 needed off 30 balls, the result was a formality. Azmatullah Omarzai joined Zadran and the pair knocked off the runs with ease. Omarzai sealed the victory in style, lofting Brad Evans over mid-wicket for a boundary in the 18th over. Afghanistan reached 129/3, winning by 7 wickets with 12 balls to spare.
Key Performances Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran: 57* (51 balls, 5x4, 1x6) – Anchored the chase with maturity. Rashid Khan: 3/9 (4 overs) – Dismantled Zimbabwe’s middle and lower order. Azmatullah Omarzai: 2/23 & 20* (12 balls) – Impactful with both bat and ball. Naveen-ul-Haq: 2/21 – Struck early to derail Zimbabwe. 
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza: 37 (32 balls) & 1/28 – Lone warrior with the bat, tidy with the ball. Richard Ngarava: 1/22 – Most economical bowler for Zimbabwe. Tashinga Musekiwa: 6 & 0/18 – Showed fight but lacked support.
Post-Match Reactions
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan Captain & Player of the Match): "Very happy with the team effort. The bowlers set it up beautifully, and Ibrahim batted with great composure. We wanted to be clinical, and we were. The series is ours, but we’ll look to sweep it 3-0."
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe Captain): "Disappointing batting performance. We keep losing clusters of wickets, and that’s hurting us. Credit to Rashid — he’s world-class. We’ll look to play with more freedom in the final game and give the fans something to cheer."
What’s Next? The third and final T20I will be played at Harare Sports Club on Sunday, November 2, 2025. While the series is decided, Zimbabwe will be desperate to avoid a whitewash, while Afghanistan will aim for a clean sweep. Series Standings: Afghanistan lead 2-0 Full Scorecard Zimbabwe Innings (125/10 in 19.3 overs) BatsmanDismissalRB4s6sBrian Bennett lbw b Naveen 0 2 0 0Nick Welch c Gurbaz b Azmatullah 8 9 1 0Tadiwanashe Marumani c Nabi b Noor Ahmad 12 15 1 0Sikandar Raza (c) c & b Rashid Khan 37 32 3 1Dion Myers lbw b Rashid Khan 12 14 1 0Ryan Burl b Rashid Khan 5 8 0 0Tashinga Musekiwa b Rashid Khan 6 9 0 0Brad Evans c Janat b Naveen 0 2 0 0Wellington Masakadza run out (Nabi) 14 12 1 0Blessing Muzarabani b Azmatullah 4 5 0 0Richard Ngarava not out 17 11 0 2Extras: 10 (lb 4, w 6) Fall of wickets: 1-0, 14-2, 32-3, 57-4, 61-5, 85-6, 85-7, 97-8, 103-9, 125-10 Bowling: Naveen-ul-Haq: 4-0-21-2 Fazalhaq Farooqi: 3-0-22-0 Azmatullah Omarzai: 3.3-0-23-2 Noor Ahmad: 4-0-28-1 Rashid Khan: 4-0-9-3 Mohammad Nabi: 1-0-8-0 Afghanistan Innings (129/3 in 18 overs) BatsmanDismissalRB4s6sRahmanullah Gurbaz c Myers b Ngarava 5 7 1 0Hazratullah Zazai c Myers b Raza 28 19 5 0Ibrahim Zadran not out 57 51 5 1Karim Janat st Marumani b Raza 18 19 1 0Azmatullah Omarzai not out 20 12 2 1
Extras: 1 (w 1) Did not bat: Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi Fall of wickets: 8-1, 44-2, 97-3 Target: 126 in 20 overs Bowling: Richard Ngarava: 3-0-22-1 Blessing Muzarabani: 3-0-28-0 Sikandar Raza: 4-0-28-1 Brad Evans: 3-0-22-0 Wellington Masakadza: 3-0-18-0 Tashinga Musekiwa: 2-0-11-0 Match Summary Toss: Zimbabwe (elected to bat) Player of the Match: Rashid Khan Result: Afghanistan won by 7 wickets Series: Afghanistan lead 2-0 
Afghanistan’s dominance in Harare continues. With spin, pace, and batting depth firing in unison, they look a formidable unit heading into the final game. For Zimbabwe, the focus will be on pride and rebuilding confidence ahead of tougher challenges.
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