Afghanistan claimed the tri-nation ODI series title in Sharjah on Friday, defeating Zimbabwe by seven wickets with 93 balls to spare as Ibrahim Zadran anchored the chase with an unbeaten 70 runs.
The final at Sharjah Cricket Stadium concluded in a decisive victory for Afghanistan, who swept through the tournament undefeated under the leadership of Rahmat Shah. After winning the toss, Zimbabwe struggled against a disciplined Afghan bowling attack and folded for 169 runs in 43.3 overs. The total proved far too small to defend as the batting lineup chased down the target in 34.3 overs, losing just three wickets along the way.
Ibrahim Zadran – Player of the Match! 👏@IZadran18 remained unbeaten on 70 off 96 balls and smashed four boundaries and a six to guide #AfghanAtalan to a comfortable seven-wicket victory and the Tri-Nation Series title! 🏆#AFGvZIM | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam |… pic.twitter.com/wAoqi0Pvcg
Rashid Khan and the Afghan Bowling Attack Dismantle Zimbabwe
The top order collapsed immediately, leaving the team reeling at 26 for three inside the early overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi struck early by bowling Tadiwanashe Marumani, while Azmatullah Omarzai and A. M. Ghazanfar chipped in with sharp fielding and disciplined lines that removed Brian Bennett and Tafadzwa Tsiga. With the top order dismissed cheaply, the team faced a steep uphill battle from the opening phase of the game.
Captain Raza fought a lone battle, anchoring the innings with a gritty 68 runs from 83 balls featuring three fours and three sixes. Through this performance, he achieved the distinction of becoming the first batter aged 40 or older to score a fifty in the final of an ODI tournament. He found some support through a 29-run stand with Brendan Taylor—who fell for 7 runs after being caught by wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz off Bilal Sami—and a subsequent 60-run partnership with Ryan Burl. Burl contributed 31 runs before Mohammad Nabi broke the partnership by dismissing him.
AfghanAtalan Crowned Champions of the Etisalat ACB ODI Tri-Nation Series, Powered by SuperColaSharjah, October 23, 2026: The AfghanAtalan have been crowned champions of the Etisalat ACB ODI Tri-Nation Series 2026, powered by SuperCola, after defeating Zimbabwe by seven wickets… pic.twitter.com/1UCzRgZbSr
Nabi’s day included a historic milestone when he trapped Wesley Madhevere stumped, capturing his 300th international wicket across all three formats. Leg-spinner Rashid Khan then sliced through the lower order, finishing with figures of 3 for 41. Rashid’s spell included trapping Brad Evans lbw, bowling Newman Nyamhuri, and removing Raza to extinguish any hopes of a late surge. A resilient 32-run tenth-wicket partnership between Blessing Muzarabani and Wellington Masakadza pushed the final score to 169 before Sami removed Masakadza for 8 runs to close out the innings.
Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz Secure the Target
Chasing 170, Afghanistan’s openers wasted no time asserting control. Rahmanullah Gurbaz played an aggressive knock at the top, smashing four fours and two sixes before falling for 36 off 31 deliveries to Nyamhuri. Sediqullah Atal followed shortly for 6 runs off 12 balls, but Ibrahim Zadran anchored the innings with immense composure.
Ibrahim partnered with Rahmat Shah for an 82-run stand that steered the team out of any potential danger. Rahmat contributed 43 runs from 63 balls with one four and one six before departing. Ibrahim remained at the crease to see out the victory, finishing unbeaten on 70 runs from 96 balls with four boundaries. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi hit the winning boundary in the 35th over to seal the championship.
Individual Honors Cap an Unbeaten Tournament Run
The comprehensive win capped off a dominant campaign where Afghanistan swept group matches against both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Individual awards reflected that supremacy: Ibrahim Zadran earned man-of-the-match honors for his steady anchor innings, while Rashid Khan claimed the series-best player award after finishing the tri-nation competition with 11 wickets.
Afghanistan clinch the ODI tri-series title with a seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the final.Match Summary 👉 https://t.co/pPtA0b4IqR#AFGvZIM pic.twitter.com/vydiVlxJPQ
More on Zimbabwe
At the halfway mark, Afghanistan are 122/2They need 48 runs in 25 overs#AFGvZIM 📝 https://t.co/pPtA0b4IqR pic.twitter.com/EXXSyJ3zKZ