ODI

AFG vs ZIM Tri-Series 2026: Afghanistan Win by 158, Atal 102

Published on October 20, 2026

Summary Overview: Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 158 runs in the ODI tri-series in Abu Dhabi. Sediqullah Atal hit 102, Ibrahim Zadran 90 and Rashid Khan took 4 for 17. Full report, squads, table and what Bangladesh need.

Who won? Afghanistan, by 158 runs. They made 294 in 50 overs and bowled Zimbabwe out for 136 in 38.4 overs.

Who starred? Sediqullah Atal hit 102 off 110 balls, and Ibrahim Zadran made 90 off 96. Rashid Khan took 4 for 17 from eight overs.

What does it mean? Afghanistan top the table with a huge net run rate. Zimbabwe's hopes now depend on Wednesday's Afghanistan vs Bangladesh match.

What's next? Afghanistan vs Bangladesh on Wednesday, October 21 in Abu Dhabi, then the final on Friday, October 23.

Match Report: A Perfect Day for the Hosts

Zimbabwe arrived full of confidence after thrashing Bangladesh by 99 runs in the opening game. Afghanistan, playing their first match of the tri-series, sent them crashing back down.

For readers new to cricket: in a One Day International (ODI), each team bats for up to 50 overs (an over is six legal deliveries). A team wins by runs when it bats first and the other side cannot reach its total.

Afghanistan's Innings: Atal and Ibrahim Take Control

Captain Rahmat Shah won the toss and chose to bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz hit a quick 25 off 20 before Ernest Masuku bowled him at 50 for 1 in the eighth over.

Then Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal batted Zimbabwe out of the game. They added 140 off 149 balls for the second wicket. Ibrahim hit nine fours and two sixes before he was caught by Tsiga off Brad Evans for 90, just 10 short of a hundred.

Masuku struck twice more, removing Rahmat Shah (7) and Azmatullah Omarzai (8), and Afghanistan slipped from 190 for 1 to 217 for 4. But Atal stayed calm and reached his century, finishing on 102 off 110 with eight fours and a six before Sikandar Raza had him caught at 259.

Afghanistan lost their last five wickets for 35 runs as they chased quick runs, and were all out for 294 off the very last ball. Masuku (3 for 44) and Evans (3 for 48) were Zimbabwe's best bowlers.

Zimbabwe's Chase: Farooqi Strikes, Rashid Finishes

Zimbabwe's chase fell apart early. Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled Ben Curran for a duck and had Tafadzwa Tsiga caught behind. Brendan Taylor was then run out by Omarzai for 1, and Zimbabwe were 26 for 3 in the eighth over. When AM Ghazanfar trapped Brian Bennett lbw for 31, it was 43 for 4.

Captain Sikandar Raza (48 off 80) and Ryan Burl (31 off 63) dug in with a stand of 64, but the required rate kept climbing. Once Rashid Khan made the breakthrough, the end came quickly.

Turning Point: Rashid's Spell

At 107 for 4 in the 32nd over, Zimbabwe were well behind, but Raza and Burl were still together.

Rashid Khan trapped Burl lbw, then Wessly Madhevere lbw, then bowled Raza two short of a fifty. He later bowled Masuku too. Zimbabwe lost their last six wickets for 29 runs, and Rashid finished with 4 for 17 from eight overs, including a maiden. He conceded barely two runs an over.

Stat Corner

Top Performers

Player	Team	Performance
Sediqullah Atal	Afghanistan	102 (110), 8 fours, 1 six
Ibrahim Zadran	Afghanistan	90 (96), 9 fours, 2 sixes
Rashid Khan	Afghanistan	4 for 17 (8 overs, 1 maiden)
Fazalhaq Farooqi	Afghanistan	2 for 15 (5 overs)
AM Ghazanfar	Afghanistan	1 for 21 (7 overs)
Sikandar Raza (c)	Zimbabwe	48 (80) and 1 for 54
Ernest Masuku	Zimbabwe	3 for 44 (8 overs)
Brad Evans	Zimbabwe	3 for 48 (10 overs)

How the Game Turned

Moment	Score
Gurbaz out	Afghanistan 50 for 1 (7.1 overs)
Ibrahim and Atal stand	140 off 149 balls for the 2nd wicket
Three quick wickets	190 for 1 to 217 for 4
Afghanistan all out	294 (50 overs)
Zimbabwe top order collapses	26 for 3 (7.1 overs)
Raza and Burl stand	64 off 112 balls for the 5th wicket
Rashid's burst	107 for 4 to 136 all out
Zimbabwe all out	136 (38.4 overs)

Powerplay Comparison

Team	First 10 overs
Afghanistan	60 for 1
Zimbabwe	33 for 3

Squads

Afghanistan

Role	Players
Playing XI	Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Bench	Ikram Alikhil, Bilal Sami, Yamin Ahmadzai, Nangeyalia Kharoti

Zimbabwe

Role	Players
Playing XI	Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (c), Wessly Madhevere, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Ernest Masuku, Blessing Muzarabani
Bench	Craig Ervine, Newman Nyamhuri, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Vincent Masekesa

Zimbabwe made two changes from their win over Bangladesh: Ryan Burl and Ernest Masuku came in for Craig Ervine, who made 93 in that game, and Newman Nyamhuri.

Tri-Series Table After Match 2

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Net Run Rate
Afghanistan	1	1	0	+3.160
Zimbabwe	2	1	1	-0.590
Bangladesh	1	0	1	-1.980

Net run rate compares how fast a team scores with how fast its opponents score. A team that is bowled out is counted as having faced its full 50 overs.

What happens next:

If Afghanistan beat Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe meet in the final.
If Bangladesh beat Afghanistan, all three teams finish with one win each, and net run rate decides the two finalists. Afghanistan's big lead means Bangladesh would need a very large win to overtake them, and they would also need to pass Zimbabwe.

What's Next

Match	Date	Fixture	Venue	Local (GST)	IST	Pakistan	ET
3rd Match	Wed, Oct 21	Afghanistan vs Bangladesh	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi	3:30 PM	5:00 PM	4:30 PM	7:30 AM
Final	Fri, Oct 23	Top two teams	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi	3:30 PM	5:00 PM	4:30 PM	7:30 AM

Local time is Gulf Standard Time (GST, UTC+4). IST is India Standard Time (UTC+5:30). Pakistan is on PKT (UTC+5). ET is US Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4). In the UK, matches start at 12:30 PM (BST).