Atal Century and Rashid Four-For Power Afghanistan to 158-Run Win Over Zimbabwe

A commanding century from Sediqullah Atal and a decisive four-wicket spell by Rashid Khan propelled Afghanistan to an emphatic 158-run victory against Zimbabwe in the second match of the UAE ODI Tri-Series.

The result leaves the tournament wide open, with all three sides in contention for Friday’s final. Afghanistan and Zimbabwe sit on two points each, leaving Wednesday’s clash between Afghanistan and Bangladesh as the decisive league fixture.

Match Summary

Key Match Highlights

• Atal and Zadran Build Platform: After Rahmanullah Gurbaz provided early momentum, Atal and Zadran consolidated with a 140-run partnership for the second wicket. Zadran struck fluent boundaries on his way to 90 before falling ten short of a milestone to Brad Evans—his fourth dismissal in the nineties in ODI cricket.
• Atal Anchors the Middle Overs: Following brief stumbles with the quick dismissals of Rahmat Shah and Azmatullah Omarzai, Atal steadied the innings alongside Hashmatullah Shahidi. Atal registered his third ODI century (102), lifting Afghanistan past 250 before holing out in the 45th over.
• Zimbabwe Claw Back Late Wickets: Zimbabwe’s bowlers triggered a sharp lower-order collapse, claiming Afghanistan’s final six wickets for just 35 runs inside the last 5.2 overs to restrict the total to 294.
• Early Top-Order Damage: Zimbabwe’s chase derailed almost immediately, collapsing to 43/4 inside 13 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi struck twice, bowling Ben Curran for a duck and having Tafadzwa Tsiga caught behind. A direct-hit run-out from Omarzai dismissed Brendan Taylor, while Brian Bennett fell lbw to AM Ghazanfar for 31.
• Rashid Breaks Middle-Order Resistance: Sikandar Raza (48) and Ryan Burl (31) mounted a 64-run resistance for the fifth wicket, braving dropped chances to slow the game down. Rashid Khan ended the stand by trapping Burl lbw with a sharp slider, bowled Wessley Madhevere with a low delivery, and shattered Raza’s stumps with a sharp-turning googly to break the back of the chase.
• Qualification Scenario Missed: To secure an outright berth in the final, Zimbabwe needed to reach at least 196 runs to safeguard their net run rate. Their eventual collapse to 136 leaves their qualification dependent on the outcome of the final group fixture.