Rashid Khan became the first bowler in men's T20 international history to reach 200 wickets, trapping Tadiwanashe Marumani lbw for 2 in the ninth over as Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 19 runs in the second T20I at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 29, moving 2-0 up in the three-match series with one game left at the same ground.
Azmatullah Omarzai made 116 off 50 balls to anchor Afghanistan's innings of 221 for 7 in 20 overs, earning him the Player of the Match award. The knock gave Afghanistan a total that looked out of reach for most of Zimbabwe's chase, even against a Zimbabwe attack that included Brad Evans, who finished with 2 for 40.
Sikandar Raza responded with 106 not out off 56 balls as Zimbabwe fell short on 202 for 5, with Tafadzwa Tsiga unbeaten on 31 at the other end when the chase ran out of overs. At 40 years and 188 days old, Raza's century made him the oldest centurion in men's T20I history, a personal landmark that could not prevent Zimbabwe slipping to a series-ending defeat.
Rashid Khan had entered the match on 199 T20I wickets and reached the milestone inside the Zimbabwe innings, finishing the contest with Afghanistan's bowling figures spread across the attack. He is well clear of the next bowler on the all-time T20I wicket-takers' list, England's Adil Rashid, who sits on 171. The milestone caps a run of records for Rashid Khan across formats this year, after he became the first bowler to reach 700 wickets across all T20 cricket during Afghanistan's T20 World Cup campaign against the UAE earlier in 2026, and arrives in a match Afghanistan had to win to confirm the series.
Afghanistan's total did not come easily. Omarzai's century, which brought up his hundred off 44 balls — the second-fastest in Afghanistan's T20I history — came after the innings had been under pressure, with the all-rounder sharing a stand with Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, who made 52 off 27, to drag the total up to a competitive total in the closing overs. The partnership between the pair was the platform that gave Afghanistan's bowlers, including the record-breaking Rashid Khan, something to defend.
Afghanistan's win makes the three-match series unassailable at 2-0, with the third and final T20I still to be played at Sharjah. Zimbabwe, already eliminated from series contention, will look to Raza's form and a response from their top order — which lost Marumani cheaply to the bowler who claimed the headlines — to avoid a series sweep in the decider.
For Zimbabwe, the dead-rubber finale is now about individual performances rather than the result, with Raza's century offering the clearest sign that the batting group can still trouble a strong Afghanistan attack even in a losing cause. For Afghanistan, a series sweep at the same venue where Rashid Khan made history would be a fitting bookend to a week already defined by milestones.
Rashid Khan's wicket-taking and Omarzai's top-order hitting make them the standout value picks from Afghanistan's squad for the series finale, while Sikandar Raza's century confirms him as Zimbabwe's one reliable fantasy option even in a losing effort. Tafadzwa Tsiga's unbeaten knock is worth a second look if Zimbabwe need a platform-setter for the dead-rubber third match.
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Scores, wicket counts, and the 200-wicket milestone in this article are verified against same-day and freshly re-checked reporting as of October 30, 2026.
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