Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, replying to 79 all out with 81/3 in the third T20I. Noor Ahmad broke the middle and lower order before the hosts finished the chase with 71 balls remaining. See the full scorecard.
Noor ends Zimbabwe's recovery
Afghanistan's decision to bowl brought immediate returns. Fazalhaq Farooqi had Innocent Kaia caught by Noor ul Rahman for 5 at the end of the opening over, and Azmatullah Omarzai removed Brian Bennett with the next delivery, Ibrahim Zadran taking the catch. Zimbabwe had lost both openers with the score on 8.
Abdullah Tarakhail then dismissed Sikandar Raza for 2, again caught by Zadran, leaving Zimbabwe 13/3. The early damage meant that their first substantial partnership had to repair the innings rather than build on a start.
Ryan Burl provided that resistance with 30 from 29 balls, including five fours. He and Wesley Madhevere added 43 for the fourth wicket, taking Zimbabwe to 56 before Abdullah Ahmadzai trapped Burl lbw in the tenth over. It was the innings' largest stand, but its end exposed the rest of the batting to Noor.
Madhevere was stumped by Noor ul Rahman for 10 at 10.3 overs, and Tafadzwa Tsiga was caught by Zadran from the next delivery. Tadiwanashe Marumani followed later in the same over, caught by Omarzai for 2. Zimbabwe were 60/7, their recovery undone by three wickets in one over.
Noor subsequently bowled Newman Nyamhuri for 9 and trapped Ernest Masuku lbw for 6 to finish with 5/13 from 3.3 overs. Between those dismissals, Tarakhail removed Blessing Muzarabani to complete his 2/14. Rashid Khan's wicketless two overs cost only 7, adding to a collective bowling effort that ended Zimbabwe's innings after 14.3 overs.
Zadran and Omarzai finish after Masuku's double
Mohammad Akram Zazai gave the chase a brisk opening, hitting three fours in his 14 from 5 balls before Muzarabani had him caught by Raza in the first over. Afghanistan's approach remained positive despite that early wicket.
Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal added 29 for the second wicket. Atal struck two fours and a six in his 20 from 14 balls, helping move the chase forward before Ernest Masuku interrupted it twice in the fifth over.
Masuku had Atal caught by Madhevere, then dismissed Noor ul Rahman lbw for a duck two deliveries later. Both wickets fell at 44, giving Zimbabwe a brief opening, but no further breakthrough followed.
Zadran remained unbeaten on 25 from 17 balls, with four fours, while Omarzai contributed 18 not out from 12, including two sixes. Their unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 37 carried Afghanistan home in 8.1 overs. The result completed a 3–0 series win in the Zimbabwe tour of Afghanistan 2026.