Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs in the first T20I of their three-match series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 27, with Ijaz Ahmadzai's 51 off 20 balls rescuing the innings and Rashid Khan's all-round contribution sealing the win, leaving Afghanistan 1-0 up with two games still to come at the same ground, including the second T20I today.
Afghanistan slipped to 31 for 3 inside the powerplay, then to 66 for 5, before Ahmadzai walked in and changed the tempo completely, reaching his half-century off just 20 balls. Shahidullah supported him with 46 off 42, and the innings closed at 177 all out in 19.5 overs. Newman Nyamhuri was the pick of Zimbabwe's bowlers with 4 for 31, with Brad Evans taking 2 for 34.
Rashid Khan came in late and made 30 off just 10 balls, including four sixes, pushing Afghanistan's total well past what looked likely when the innings was in trouble in the middle overs.
Chasing 178, Zimbabwe reached 38 for 1 after six overs with Ryan Burl (32 off 24) and Innocent Kaia (24 off 26) giving the visitors a platform, but the innings lost momentum through the middle overs and Zimbabwe were bowled out for 140 in 19.1 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi took 3 for 13 and bowled the final over to finish the innings, while Rashid Khan added 2 for 20 with the ball to go with his 30 runs, earning him the Player of the Match award. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Azmatullah Omarzai also chipped in with two wickets apiece.
The result gives Afghanistan a 1-0 lead with two matches to play in the series, both still to come at Sharjah. Zimbabwe will need a firmer response from their top order if they are to level the series in the second T20I later today, having let a solid start with the ball slip away once Ahmadzai and Rashid Khan took the game away from them in the closing overs of the first innings.
Rashid Khan's all-round contribution makes him the standout value pick for as long as the series continues, while Ijaz Ahmadzai's finishing ability lower in the order is worth tracking after his impact in the series opener. For Zimbabwe, Ryan Burl's top-order form is the clearest positive to build around.
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Scores and bowling figures in this article are verified against same-day and freshly re-checked reporting as of October 29, 2026.
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