Afghanistan kept their winning momentum alive as Rashid Khan’s three-wicket haul led a clinical bowling performance to restrict Zimbabwe to 125 in 19.3 overs at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.
Rashid produced a stunning spell of 3-9 from three overs, dismantling the Zimbabwe top order with precision and pace variation. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Abdollah Ahmadzai chipped in with two wickets each, leaving the hosts struggling for momentum throughout their innings.
He’s going to have a bright future for Afghanistan. This is a positive motivation for him. I was happy to bowl at the key stages and help bring the score down to 125. Situations like this teach us to stay calm and focused.
Zimbabwe Falters Under Pressure
Electing to bat first, Zimbabwe struggled to build partnerships. Captain Sikandar Raza top-scored with 37, but wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team unable to set a challenging total. Tony Munyonga (19) and Brian Bennett (16) offered brief resistance, but the host side was eventually bundled out well short of the 145-150 mark they had aimed for.
This team needs my runs. Unfortunately, I got out when I was set. We need to be brave and take the first punch. The effort and attitude were there, but it’s tough to defend small totals against a strong team like Afghanistan.
Zadran And Omarzai Finish The Job
Chasing a modest 126, Afghanistan got off to a steady start. Ibrahim Zadran’s unbeaten 57 off 51 balls anchored the innings, while Azmatullah Omarzai’s 13-ball 25 injected the required firepower to finish the job comfortably. The visitors reached 129/3 in 18 overs, winning with two overs to spare and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, rendering Sunday’s third T20I a dead rubber.
Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 125 all out in 19.3 overs (Sikandar Raza 37; Rashid Khan 3-9, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2-26, Abdollah Ahmadzai 2-28) Afghanistan 126/3 in 18 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 57*, Azmatullah Omarzai 25*; Brad Evans 2-21) Afghanistan won by seven wickets.
