Afghanistan toured Zimbabwe in late October and early November 2025 for a three-match T20I series, following a one-off Test. The Test match actually went Zimbabwe’s way (which, credit where it’s due, was a massive win for the hosts). But when it came to the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team T20I series, Afghanistan showed up differently. They were sharper, more clinical, and frankly — unstoppable.
The result? A 3-0 whitewash. Afghanistan swept all three games. But don’t let that scoreline fool you — some of these matches were absolute thrillers.
Why This Series Had Everyone Talking
Picture this: Harare Sports Club buzzing under the sun. Afghanistan, known for their spin wizards and explosive batters, facing Zimbabwe, who always bring heart and home advantage. The Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team delivered thrills across three T20Is.
Afghanistan swept the series 3-0, but it wasn’t a walkover. There were big hits, brilliant catches, and moments that made you jump off your couch.
In this piece, we’ll break down each Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard, key players, timelines, and fun insights. Ready? Let’s dive in.
Match 1 — 1st T20I, October 29, 2025 | Harare Sports Club
Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard — 1st T20I
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Afghanistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2025-26 — T20I Series |
| Venue | Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Date | October 29, 2025 |
| Toss | Afghanistan won the toss & elected to bat |
| Afghanistan | 180/6 (20 overs) |
| Zimbabwe | 127/10 (16.1 overs) |
| Result | Afghanistan won by 53 runs |
| Series | Afghanistan lead 3-match series 1-0 |
| Player of the Match | Azmatullah Omarzai (27 off 21 & 3/29) |
Player of the Match: Azmatullah Omarzai (27 off 21 & 3/29)
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat. Good call. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (39 off 25) and Ibrahim Zadran (52 off 33) came out swinging and set the tone early. The opening pair raced to 63 without loss by the end of the powerplay. That kind of start is the cricket equivalent of walking into a job interview with a gold-plated CV — the game was Afghanistan’s to lose from that point.
Ibrahim Zadran brought up his fifty off just 31 balls — crisp, controlled, and exactly the kind of innings that wins you “Player of the Series” trophies later.
Afghanistan posted 180/6 in their 20 overs. Not a monstrous total, but given the conditions in Harare, it was more than enough.
Zimbabwe’s reply was a horror show. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (4/20) was simply unplayable. He ripped through the top order like a hot knife through butter. Azmatullah Omarzai added 3/29 to make it a proper team effort. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 127 in just 16.1 overs.
Only Tinotenda Maposa (32 off 15) showed some fight from No. 9 — and even that was a case of too little, too late. Sikandar Raza’s 3/20 with the ball was Zimbabwe’s lone bright spot.
Expert Insight: Afghanistan have now won 17 of their 19 T20Is against Zimbabwe — a staggering head-to-head record that underlines just how dominant they’ve been against the African side in short-format cricket.
Match 2 — 2nd T20I, October 31, 2025 | Harare Sports Club
Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard — 2nd T20I
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Afghanistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2025-26 — T20I Series |
| Venue | Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Date | October 31, 2025 |
| Toss | Zimbabwe won the toss & elected to bat |
| Zimbabwe | 125/10 (19.3 overs) |
| Afghanistan | 129/3 (18 overs) |
| Result | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets (12 balls remaining) |
| Series | Afghanistan lead 3-match series 2-0 |
| Player of the Match | Rashid Khan (3/9 in 3 overs) |
Player of the Match: Rashid Khan (3/9 in 3 overs)
Zimbabwe won the toss this time and elected to bat. The powerplay looked promising — until it didn’t. They lost 3 wickets for just 35 runs in the first six overs. That’s not a start, that’s a stumble.
Zimbabwe did regroup a little. Sikandar Raza (37 off 32) and Tony Munyonga (19 off 12) gave the middle order some dignity. But then Rashid Khan, who had briefly been nursing an injury to his right hand, walked back to bowl in the 17th over and — well — Rashid Khan happened. He knocked over Raza, ran through the tail, and finished with an astonishing 3/9 in 3 overs. That’s not bowling. That’s a masterclass.
Zimbabwe were all out for 125 in 19.3 overs. The target? A very gettable 126.
Afghanistan’s chase was comfortable and calm. Ibrahim Zadran posted back-to-back T20I fifties with 57 off 51 balls. The series was sealed with 12 balls to spare. 2-0.
Expert Insight: Rashid Khan’s economy rate of 3.00 in this match is a reminder of why he’s consistently ranked among the top T20I bowlers in the world. Three wickets at that economy in T20 cricket is frankly outrageous.
Match 3 — 3rd T20I, November 2, 2025 | Harare Sports Club
Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard — 3rd T20I
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Afghanistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2025-26 — T20I Series |
| Venue | Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Date | November 2, 2025 |
| Toss | Afghanistan won the toss & elected to bat |
| Afghanistan | 210/3 (20 overs) |
| Zimbabwe | 201/10 (20 overs) |
| Result | Afghanistan won by 9 runs |
| Series | Afghanistan won 3-match series 3-0 (clean sweep) |
| Player of the Match | Rahmanullah Gurbaz (92 off 48 balls) |
Player of the Match: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (92 off 48) Player of the Series: Ibrahim Zadran (169 runs across the series)
Now THIS was a game. If you thought the series was a one-sided bore, this final T20I reset the narrative completely.
Afghanistan posted 210/3 — their highest of the series. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the architect, smashing 92 off 48 balls in a performance that had the Harare crowd on their feet. Ibrahim Zadran continued his golden series with another contribution at the top. The two openers once again combined beautifully, communicating between wickets, rotating strike, and punishing anything loose.
Zimbabwe, chasing 211, gave it everything. Sikandar Raza (who played a captain’s knock) and Ryan Burl led a spirited middle-order charge. At several points in the innings, Zimbabwe looked like they could pull off a miraculous chase. The score reached 201 before Afghanistan’s bowlers shut the door. Abdullah Ahmadzai (3/42) was instrumental in the final stages.
Zimbabwe were bowled out on the very last ball for 201. Afghanistan won by just 9 runs.
It was the kind of match that reminds you why cricket is absolutely mad — and why we love it.
Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Timeline — Series Summary
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Timeline in this tour covered a fascinating two-phase trip:
- October 20–28: One-off Test match — Zimbabwe won (their moment of glory)
- October 29: 1st T20I — Afghanistan won by 53 runs
- October 31: 2nd T20I — Afghanistan won by 7 wickets
- November 2: 3rd T20I — Afghanistan won by 9 runs
- Series Result: Afghanistan won the T20I series 3-0
Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Matches — Key Stats at a Glance
When you look at the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Matches across this series, a few numbers really jump out:
Top Performers — Batting (Series)
| Player | Team | Runs | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 169 | 3 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | ~131+ | 3 |
| Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe | 89 | 3 |
| Ryan Burl | Zimbabwe | ~60+ | 3 |
Top Performers — Bowling (Series)
| Player | Team | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| Brad Evans | Zimbabwe | 5 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Afghanistan | 6+ |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 3+ |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | Afghanistan | 3+ |
What Made Afghanistan So Good in This Series?
Let’s be straight with you — Afghanistan didn’t just win three matches. They won three matches differently, which is the sign of a genuinely strong team.
In Match 1, their bowlers dismantled Zimbabwe. In Match 2, their captain stepped up when injured. In Match 3, their openers set up a monster total. That’s adaptability. That’s depth.
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard across all three games tells the story of a team that knew exactly what it was doing at every phase of the game — powerplay, middle overs, death overs.
Ibrahim Zadran’s 169 runs as the Player of the Series was the story within the story. The left-hander was consistent, calm, and hungry throughout. He admitted after the series that after the disappointment of the Test match loss, he wanted to come back stronger — and he absolutely did.
What About Zimbabwe?
Here’s where we need to give credit. Zimbabwe were not pushovers — especially in the third match. Sikandar Raza played his heart out with both bat and ball throughout the series. Tinotenda Maposa showed glimpses of brilliance. And Zimbabwe’s spirit in that final chase (201 vs 210) was genuinely exciting cricket.
For Zimbabwe fans, the silver lining is clear: the batting unit showed it can score big. The bowlers — especially Brad Evans (5 wickets in the series) — showed they can take wickets. The gap to Afghanistan isn’t unbridgeable. It’s just not been bridged yet.
Head-to-Head: Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe in T20Is
Afghanistan’s record against Zimbabwe in T20Is is extraordinary. Coming into this series, they had won 17 of their 19 T20I meetings. After this 3-0 series win, that dominance only extended further.
For more context and official records, you can check out ESPNcricinfo’s series page for detailed ball-by-ball commentary and stats.
Expert Opinion
Cricket analysts and commentators were largely in agreement post-series: Afghanistan’s T20I unit is among Asia’s most complete sides right now. Their bowling attack — with Mujeeb, Rashid, and Omarzai — is world-class. Their opening pair of Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran is arguably the most dangerous in Associate and Emerging cricket.
Rashid Khan’s comment after the series says it all: “If you look at the guys overall, we played as a team… We played as a team, and that’s why we won the series.” (Source: ESPNcricinfo)
Conclusion
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard from October–November 2025 tells one complete story: Afghanistan came, they saw, they conquered — but Zimbabwe made them work for every run in that final match.
The Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team series was more than just results on paper. It was a showcase of Afghanistan’s brilliant bowling depth, Ibrahim Zadran’s class at the top of the order, and Rashid Khan’s unreal leadership. For Zimbabwe, it was a reminder that they need more consistency across 20 overs to compete with Asia’s best.
If you’re a cricket fan who wants elite T20 cricket — watch Afghanistan. If you want grit, fight, and never-say-die spirit — watch Zimbabwe. Together? They make for a pretty entertaining series.
FAQs
Q1. What was the result of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard in the 1st T20I?
Afghanistan won the 1st T20I by 53 runs. They scored 180/6 and bowled Zimbabwe out for 127 in 16.1 overs on October 29, 2025 in Harare.
Q2. Who won the 2nd T20I between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe?
Afghanistan won the 2nd T20I by 7 wickets with 12 balls remaining. Zimbabwe scored 125 all out, and Afghanistan chased it down in 18 overs. Rashid Khan was the star with 3/9.
Q3. How close was the 3rd T20I in the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Match Scorecard?
Very close! Afghanistan set 211, and Zimbabwe reached 201 all out off the last ball. Afghanistan won by just 9 runs in a thriller.
Q4. Who was the Player of the Series in the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team series?
Ibrahim Zadran was the Player of the Series, scoring 169 runs across the 3 T20Is for Afghanistan.
Q5. What is Afghanistan’s overall T20I record against Zimbabwe?
Coming into this 2025 tour, Afghanistan had won 17 of 19 T20Is against Zimbabwe — making them heavily dominant in this matchup.
Q6. Who was the Player of the Match in the 3rd T20I?
Rahmanullah Gurbaz won the Player of the Match award for his brilliant innings of 92 off 48 balls in the 3rd T20I.
Q7. Did Zimbabwe win any match in the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team series?
No. Afghanistan won all 3 T20I matches. However, Zimbabwe did win the one-off Test match earlier in the same tour, which was a significant achievement for the home side.
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