Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: 12 key moments, ball by ball
Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs.
Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs in 1st T20I of Twenty20 International — Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe in UAE. Here is how the match turned, ball by ball: the overs that changed it, the wickets that mattered and the numbers behind the result.
Key moments, ball by ball
- AFG Over 2.6 — Afghanistan collapse: 3 wickets for 18 runs (0/0 to 18/3)
- AFG Over 14 — 18 runs came off the over, bowled by Sikandar Raza: 1 2 6 4 4 1
- AFG Over 16.1 — Shahidullah Kamal out for 46 (42), caught by Newman Nyamhuri. 123/6
- AFG Over 17.3 — Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai brings up a fifty off 20 balls
- AFG Over 18 — 19 runs came off the over, bowled by Ernest Masuku: 1 1 6 1 6 4
- AFG Over 18.1 — Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai out for 52 (22), caught by Brad Evans. 156/7
- AFG Over 19.2 — Rashid Khan out for 30 (10), caught by Newman Nyamhuri. 174/8
- AFG Over 19.4 — Newman Nyamhuri completes a 3-wicket haul
- ZIM Over 7.6 — Innocent Kaia out for 24 (26), bowled by Rashid Khan. 47/2
- ZIM Over 13 — 16 runs came off the over, bowled by Noor Ahmad: 6 0 2 6 1 1
- ZIM Over 19.1 — Zimbabwe collapse: 3 wickets for 13 runs (126/7 to 139/10)
- ZIM Over 19.1 — Fazalhaq Farooqi completes a 3-wicket haul
How the runs came
Afghanistan were 53 after 10 overs and finished on 177/10. Zimbabwe were 57 after 10 overs and finished on 140/10.
Phase by phase
| Phase | AFG | ZIM |
|---|---|---|
| Powerplay (1-6) | 31/3 (RR 5.17) | 37/1 (RR 6.17) |
| Middle overs (7-15) | 83/2 (RR 9.22) | 65/3 (RR 7.22) |
| Death overs (16-20) | 63/5 (RR 13.03) | 37/6 (RR 8.88) |
In the middle overs, Afghanistan scored 18 more than Zimbabwe. In the death overs, Afghanistan scored 26 more than Zimbabwe.
Afghanistan innings: over by over
Afghanistan faced 36 dot balls (30%), hit 12 fours and 11 sixes, and got 6 extras. The best stand was 57 off 29 balls between Shahidullah Kamal & Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai. Between overs 1.5 and 2.6 they slipped from 0/0 to 18/3.
Fall of wickets: 11-1 (Ibrahim Zadran, 1.5), 14-2 (Sediqullah Atal, 2.4), 18-3 (Mohammad Akram Zazai, 2.6), 45-4 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 8.5), 66-5 (Azmatullah Omarzai, 11.2), 123-6 (Shahidullah Kamal, 16.1), 156-7 (Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, 18.1), 174-8 (Rashid Khan, 19.2), 175-9 (Noor Ahmad, 19.4), 177-10 (Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 19.5)
Zimbabwe innings: over by over
Zimbabwe faced 34 dot balls (30%), hit 6 fours and 6 sixes, and got 9 extras. The best stand was 38 off 25 balls between Ryan Burl & Sikandar Raza. Between overs 18.2 and 19.1 they slipped from 126/7 to 139/10.
Fall of wickets: 11-1 (Ben Curran, 2.2), 47-2 (Innocent Kaia, 7.6), 55-3 (Brian Bennett, 9.3), 93-4 (Sikandar Raza, 13.4), 106-5 (Tadiwanashe Marumani, 15.2), 110-6 (Ryan Burl, 16.1), 126-7 (Wesley Madhevere, 17.4), 131-8 (Brad Evans, 18.2), 131-9 (Ernest Masuku, 18.3), 139-10 (Newman Nyamhuri, 19.1)
Our view
Afghanistan had a difficult start, losing three wickets for just 18 runs. Shahidullah Kamal steadied the innings with 46 off 42 balls, while Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai changed the pace with a quick 52 off just 22 balls. Their partnership helped Afghanistan recover, and the late hitting pushed the total to 177 despite wickets falling in the final overs.
Zimbabwe started slightly better but struggled to keep the chase on track as wickets fell at regular intervals. Ryan Burl tried to build momentum, but Afghanistan’s bowlers kept the pressure on. The biggest blow came near the end, when Zimbabwe lost their final three wickets for just 13 runs and were bowled out for 140. Afghanistan’s recovery with the bat and timely breakthroughs with the ball proved decisive in securing the 37-run win.
Top performers
- Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai — 52 (22 balls)
- Shahidullah Kamal — 46 (42 balls)
- Ryan Burl — 32 (24 balls)
- Newman Nyamhuri — 4/31 (3.5 ov)
- Fazalhaq Farooqi — 3/13 (3.1 ov)
- Rashid Khan — 2/20 (4 ov)
Full scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary: Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe
